Love in Excess
by minx
Summary: f/f slash. Chapter 7: Will love finally flower for Katie and Hermione? Find out what happens as Harry and Ron start wising up, Cho has second thoughts, and choices are made.
1. Temptation

A/N: As my summary indicates, this is slash. The perils of lesbian love and dyke drama await you, so read at your own risk. Other notes should include the acknowledgement that all characters belong to the ever-adored J.K. Rowling, and I regret to say I didn't come up with the title all on my own: it's also the title of an eighteenth-century novel by Eliza Haywood, for all you literary enthusiasts. And thanks to my ever-enthusiastic beta-reader, Wotan.

This fic is for everyone who's ever had (or wished for) a Katie in their lives. Enjoy.

LOVE IN EXCESS 1: Temptation 

The autumn term had begun at Hogwarts, and Katie Bell's thoughts turned to Quidditch – and love. 

Although her brief but torrid romance with Alicia Spinnet last spring hadn't lasted even three weeks after school let out, Katie remained optimistic when it came to love, convinced the right girl was out there. Currently, the right girl in Katie's mind was Cho Chang. Simply thinking about Cho's flying style – elegant and efficient - or the way she looked when she smiled, sent a shiver of anticipation up Katie's back. She hadn't spoken with Cho since returning from the summer holidays, but with Quidditch season starting up, Katie thought the situation was sure to change.

Katie shared none of these private hopes, however, feeling there was no one to tell. Her mother shuddered every time Katie mentioned Quidditch, and their inability to agree on anything had taught Katie to keep her own interests to herself. For despite her mother's best efforts at inculcating good manners and academic achievement, Katie had developed a very unacademic – not to mention unladylike - interest in flying. She was a daredevil on a broomstick, always had been since her father had presented her with her first toy model at age four.

Katie's room at home was littered with copies of the _Quidditch Gazette _and various weeklies updating her on news in the sport. Decorative touches such as frilly pink curtains and matching bed canopy, provided by Mrs Bell in an effort to jump-start her daughter's femininity, looked incongruous against Katie's posters of the Irish Chaser Moran, or Bulgarian Seeker Krum. Katie knew her mother worried over the fact that she showed so little interest in more girlish pursuits like clothes, hair, and boys. "After all," Mrs Bell had pointed out on many an occasion, "boys don't like girls who are faster than they are on brooms." So while her mother might have been pleased to learn her daughter had a crush on a boy, Katie knew she'd find no support for an announcement that she actually liked another girl.

Katie hadn't even told her other best friend, Angelina Johnson, about her newfound feelings, especially when those feelings had involved Alicia. And although Alicia had said she was fine being just friends again, Katie sensed she wouldn't be thrilled to hear Katie's attentions had turned so quickly to someone else. Thus, telling even her closest friends about her growing crush on Cho seemed risky. 

Today Alicia kept shooting Katie surreptitious glances while the Gryffindor team stretched prior to beginning their Quidditch practice. Something in her gaze made Katie's optimism regarding their friendship waver for a moment, and she froze as Alicia's hazel eyes sought her out yet again.

"Bell! You call that stretching?" Katie flinched at the sound of Angelina's voice and snapped her attention back to their new captain, who was leading the team in warming up.

"Get your scrawny arse up here and take over," commanded Angelina.

"She hasn't got an arse," remarked Alicia as Katie jogged to the front of the team, her remark leading to general mirth among the other Gryffindors.

Angelina grinned and gave Katie an appraising look while the boys on the team hooted. "You're right," she said, looking back at Alicia then again at Katie. "We'll take up a collection to buy you one," she offered, giving Katie a pinch and changing places with her.

Red-faced, Katie attempted to lead the team in finishing their stretching but most of them were too busy snickering over Angelina's well-inflected ribbing to pay much attention. She knew Angelina didn't mean anything by it - she regularly teased everyone on the team - but Katie wondered what was behind Alicia's comment. She didn't get a chance to find out, however, as they soon began flying in earnest.

When the Gryffindor team straggled off the pitch two hours later, Ravenclaw were just arriving, having reserved the space next. Katie felt her heart give a little skip as she noticed Cho Chang leaning against the stadium wall, chatting with a teammate. She wanted to say something but didn't know what. Besides, Alicia and Angelina were on either side of her and she didn't dare say anything in front of Alicia. She settled for glancing shiftily at Cho, then trying not to blush when Cho caught her eye, raised one eyebrow suggestively and turned back to her own conversation.

A tell-tale blush still in her cheeks, Katie turned to speak to Alicia but before she could say anything the other girl turned and walked quickly away, frowning.

"What's up with you and Alicia?" asked Angelina, jogging up to Katie and touching her arm.

"Alicia and me?" stammered Katie. "Nothing."

"Ever since term started she's been different. Edgy around you. I guess that means things didn't work out between you over the summer?"

"What!" Katie stared at her friend. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw how you two were looking at each other last spring. I _have_ been your friend all these years, and hers too - I knew something was going on. Would have been nice if you'd told me but I'm not one to pry. Not unless it interferes with the team." Angelina fixed her dark brown eyes on Katie's grey ones.

Glancing around to make sure nobody was nearby, Katie answered in a low voice. "We didn't tell you - or anyone - because we didn't think you'd understand. But you're right. It didn't work out. We're just friends."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Angelina didn't sound angry; if anything she sounded a little hurt.

"Like I said, we didn't think you'd understand. And I was worried already about getting involved with one of my best friends - I couldn't have stood it if I'd lost your friendship too."

"Katie, do you really think I'd stop being your friend over something like that?" Angelina looked at her worriedly. "Okay, I admit if you'd told me right away I don't know exactly how I would have reacted. I've had the whole summer to think about it and get used to the idea. But no matter what, I'd never stop being your friend." 

She gave Katie another stern look then grinned and added, "Just because I don't swing that way myself doesn't mean I have anything against those who do. But you could have told me yourself instead of letting me work it out on my own."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Angelina patted her on the shoulder. "Just promise you'll tell me something important like that next time."

"Sure," Katie agreed weakly. Her stomach felt jittery and her limbs strangely shaky, as if she were about to begin a particularly difficult Quidditch match - or a fight. She couldn't believe Angelina had known about her and Alicia. Maybe others knew, too. 

That evening Katie made a point of finding Alicia alone and asked her, "Are you okay with us being friends?"

Alicia looked up from the Arithmancy problem she was working on. "Sure." She shoved back an unruly curl and said, "If you were seeing someone else you'd tell me, right?"

"Would you want me to?"

Alicia shrugged and bent over her parchment. "I think so, yeah."

"Alicia -" Katie reached out and touched the other girl on the arm.

"What?" Alicia looked up again, her big brown eyes full of a kind of hopefulness that made Katie feel suddenly very bad.

"Nothing. I just want you to know you're really an important friend to me. Did, um, Angelina talk to you?"

Alicia nodded.

Katie cleared her throat. Feeling oddly formal, considering she was speaking to one of her oldest friends, she said, "This is our last year here. I want us all to be best friends, just like we've always been."

"Of course. Me too." Alicia smiled but the hope had flickered from her eyes. She returned to her homework and Katie left the comfort of the Common room to go out for a walk.

She didn't know where she planned to go, just knew that she had to get out of Gryffindor tower. As she wandered along the corridors Katie saw students hurrying to and from the library, a small group heading for a late-night Astronomy observation, and - Cho Chang.

Katie saw Cho before the other girl noticed her, and plunged her hands into her pockets in an attempt at casualness. Cho was alone, two large books and a roll of parchment clasped against her front. Katie wondered if she should say hello. They weren't exactly friends, but knew each other through Quidditch. She kept her eyes determinedly on the polished wood floor. She was getting closer, she'd have to say something soon or just pass by in silence -

"Hi, Katie," smiled Cho.

"Hi." Katie paused, hands still in her pockets.

"What're you doing?"

"Just taking a walk. You, um, busy?" asked Katie, gesturing to Cho's books.

Cho shrugged. "Homework for Professor Vector."

"Oh yeah, Alicia's working on that, too," said Katie and immediately wished she hadn't mentioned her ex-girlfriend in front of Cho.

"See you later, then," said Cho and continued on her way, leaving Katie standing in the corridor.

**

Intrigued as she was with Cho, Katie found herself wondering about other girls at Hogwarts. She sat in the Great Hall eating lunch, her eyes moving about the noisy room, wondering how many other girls who sat in the Hall, now laughing and chattering with their friends, were like herself? Surely she wasn't the only one. She _knew_ she wasn't the only one. She just didn't know how to find the others. 

"Aren't you coming?" Katie snapped out of her reverie at the sound of Alicia's voice. Her ex-girlfriend was looking at her expectantly. "We're supposed to be in the language lab."

"Right." Katie gathered her books and stood up. One of her optional subjects was foreign languages, but she couldn't say she really enjoyed it. Last year they had studied introductory Mermish, but considering she didn't enjoy swimming in the Hogwarts Lake, Katie felt she'd have little practical use for that tongue. Now they were on to Gobbledegook, an arcane language Katie found even less helpful than Mermish. Their teacher, Professor Profundus, was fond of telling them many magical spells had their origins in Gobbledegook in an attempt at making their studies more relevant, but Katie remained unconvinced. 

It was a small class. Alicia sat next to her and was studiously repeating verb conjugations. Opposite Katie was one of Cho's Ravenclaw house-mates, and across the room at another table sat the two Slytherins in the class, both of whom Katie knew - and detested - from Quidditch: Warrington and Montagu. Their backs were to her, and Katie glared at them, allowing herself to indulge briefly in fantasies of completely humiliating them on the Quidditch pitch. She cast a longing eye out the window, then finally turned her attention back to her books. Today was a beautiful autumn afternoon: blue skies, no wind, perfect for flying. 

When the final lesson of the afternoon finished, Katie made a bee-line for the broomshed. Nobody else was around except Madam Hooch, just returning from a flying lesson for the first-years. Katie, already airborne, waved at her merrily before shooting towards the fifty-foot high goal posts at one end of the pitch. She flattened herself against her broom, enjoying the rush of wind against her face and flew as fast as her broom could go. She zipped in and out of the large hoops and had just turned to race across to the other side when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.

Cho sped past her with a saucy smile. "What's the fun of racing in a straight line?" she called out, and promptly dropped several lengths below Katie. 

Katie responded by pulling up higher and making a large, slow circle, watching while Cho barreled towards the ground and pulled up again, climbing quickly with the speed that marked a Seeker. 

When Cho reached the point where Katie hovered, she slowed her broom and whipped it around so she sat facing Katie. "Didn't think I'd see anyone else out here this afternoon."

Katie met her gaze. "Neither did I. Hope I'm not interfering," she added, knowing full well she wasn't.

"Not at all." Cho dropped straight down, a heart-plunging drop of over ten feet, before securing her position and shooting off across the pitch. Katie flew above her and sped parallel to the other girl. As they both approached the other goal posts, Katie dropped down and blocked Cho, who speedily reversed. Katie followed and the two played cat-and-mouse all the way across the pitch. 

"Had enough?" asked Katie, grinning as Cho paused to push back her windblown hair. 

"Not even close." Cho's face gleamed with sweat and her cheeks were flushed from both the flying and the nip of late afternoon breeze. They locked eyes for a moment, then they were off again, twisting and ducking as they flew across each other's paths. 

As the afternoon sun sank ever lower, the girls at last touched down on the grassy pitch. Katie's throat felt sore from the wind and the flying but she didn't care. She leaned back, her arms braced against the ground, and regarded Cho. "Pretty good blocking, for a Seeker," she smiled.

"Not bad dives, for a Chaser."

Katie looked at Cho, a million things rushing through her head that she wanted to say. She wanted to complain about her boring Gobbledegook class, wanted to see what lessons Cho liked and hated, what her timetable was, if she'd ever had a girlfriend - but as quickly as all these thoughts sped through her mind they just as quickly died on her lips. Instead she gave an automatic smile, then stood up and dusted off her robes. 

"Better get back," she announced and picked up her broom. 

Cho also stood and they began walking back to the castle in silence. 

"You come out here on your own much?" Katie finally asked.

"Every chance I get," said Cho. "You should join us for one of our pick-up games some time - every Thursday afternoon, just us girls."

"Really?" Katie was surprised. "Why haven't I heard about this?"

"We only started it last year, a small group of us, when Quidditch season was cancelled for the Triwizard Tournament. We were going to ask you last spring but then …" Cho trailed off and Katie could just bet she knew what the other girl was thinking about.

"Cedric," Katie finished, softly. "That must have been really hard for you."

Cho focused again on Katie, her brows drawn together. "Long story."

"If you want to talk -" offered Katie, feeling awkward suddenly. "I mean, it must be so difficult now with him gone."

"That's just part of the long story," said Cho. They had reached the broomshed, where Cho stopped walking and opened the door. The two girls locked up their brooms in silence, then returned outside to the twilight world of Hogwarts. 

Katie looked up the path to the castle, where lights shone through windows and turrets stood darkly against the sky. She liked this time of day, no longer daylight but not quite evening yet. 

Cho also looked castleward, then announced, "I've got to go," and dashed off, leaving Katie to once again watch her disappear.

**

After her cryptic exchange with Cho, Katie kept an eye out for her and discovered they often passed outdoors between Herbology and Potions. She also made one other interesting discovery: a Hufflepuff girl named Laura seemed to be shooting significant glances her way. She'd never really noticed the girl before, and hadn't paid much attention at first even this year, not until she asked Katie to work with her in Herbology one day.

"Er," stalled Katie, looking over at Angelina and Alicia, with whom she always worked. But Angelina, who had a nose for potential romance, merely winked and drew Alicia over to begin pruning a Screaming Fig.

Laura was cute enough, reflected Katie. She had a round face and a small Cupid's mouth, loads of dark blonde hair - but she wasn't really Katie's type. 

"When's your first match of the season?" asked Laura, bending over to snip at a branch.

"What? Oh, um, in a couple of weeks." Katie stopped all attempts at pruning and just stared at the other girl. Was she really coming on to her? 

"Well, I'll be sure to watch. I love Quidditch," Laura announced in her soft, breathy voice. "I go to all the games." She smiled up at Katie while still bending over the small plant and Katie couldn't help noticing that the top few fastenings of the girl's robes were undone. 

"Great," she smiled weakly and fiddled with her gardening gloves. The greenhouse seemed warmer than usual today.

"I think the Chasers are the most fun to watch," the girl continued, her tiny pruning shears making expert cuts at the base of each branch. "All that speed."

"Really? You know, some people think the Seeker is the most exciting. The position Harry Potter plays."

Laura stopped pruning and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Not me." She looked straight into Katie's eyes, leaving no doubt that even had Harry played Chaser, she wouldn't have been interested in watching _him_.

Although Katie had been entertaining fantasies of girls chasing after her as recently as yesterday afternoon, somehow these daydreams had never remotely been connected with Herbology lessons. She felt an unaccustomed rush of joy at seeing Professor Sprout, who stopped by to inspect their work. Unfortunately, Laura had done an excellent job and the teacher soon moved on to assist another group having more difficulty, leaving Katie once again alone with the zealous Hufflepuff.

Before the girl could strike up a new conversation, however, the entire class was distracted by a high pitched shriek, followed by a series of popping sounds and George and Fred Weasley's yells of pain.

Professor Sprout hustled across the greenhouse. "I told you not to cut the branches with purple buds! Weren't you listening?"

"We wanted to see what would happen," explained Fred, attempting to pick out the hundreds of tiny barbs the plant had shot at him when he pruned an immature branch.

"I told you what would happen before we started," Professor Sprout said in exasperation, then sent them off to Madam Pomfrey. 

"I can't believe I just agreed to go to Hogsmeade with you and Fred and George," Alicia said gloomily to Angelina, watching the boys leave.

"What?" Katie couldn't help overhearing and ignoring her shrub and over-eager partner, turned her attention to Alicia. "You're going out with George?"

"I'm only going because _she_ asked me to," replied Alicia, nodding at Angelina. "What do you care, anyway?"

"Well, 'cos it's George. And… he's a boy." 

"Yeah, he is. What of it?" Alicia went back to pruning her shrub. 

Katie dropped her voice to a whisper. "I just thought after last spring, you weren't so interested in boys any more."

Alicia paused in mid-prune, shears in the air. "It's not like it's a date. As you said, it's only George. He and Fred will probably spend the whole time trying to play practical jokes on us. Besides," she glanced over at the blonde Hufflepuff, who was looking at the two of them unhappily, "looks like you've got other plans."

Katie stepped closer and whispered furiously into Alicia's ear, "I don't have plans with her! It's all Angelina's fault - she dragged you off and made me work with her. God, the girl is like…" she struggled to find a suitable simile, "like a human form of Devil's Snare."

"Better finish your plant - Sprout's looking," was all Alicia would say and Katie had no choice but to return to her partner. 

**

Feeling she'd had a very narrow escape, Katie hurried across the lawns after Herbology. For once, she found herself looking forward to Potions, if only because it would mean she was away from Laura. Although she agreed with the general consensus that Snape was a slimeball, she did have a knack with potions and always managed to do fairly well. Besides, the Weasley twins provided plenty of opportunities for Snape to turn his wrath on the two of them rather than on anyone else. 

Today, however, Fred and George had still not returned from the matron and Snape was, if possible, in a fouler than usual mood. Katie, Alicia and Angelina normally sat together at a bench during Potions but today Snape made Katie work with Warrington, who was sitting by herself. At least the Slytherin girl made no attempts to even converse, let alone flirt with Katie, and they worked in silence the entire time. 

Katie found herself with plenty to think over as they were finally released from lessons that afternoon. She realised with a start that today was Thursday, and wondered if Cho would be playing Quidditch that afternoon. Katie glanced over at Alicia and Angelina, who were engrossed in conversation. She felt she should invite them to come, too, but part of her wanted to go on her own, especially considering Cho would be there. Well, just this once…she could see what it was like and invite them next time. Considering the afternoon she'd had, Katie felt she deserved to do something just for herself that day.

"Where're you going?" asked Angelina. They had just climbed up to Gryffindor tower and their dormitory, but instead of enjoying a leisurely pre-dinner hour, Katie was preparing to go out again.

"No place special. I'll be back for dinner," Katie said quickly and dashed off.

Any guilty feelings she might have had disappeared once she was in the air. They played five-a-side, and Katie found herself on the same team as Cho. Another Ravenclaw worked with her as the second Chaser, and Katie noted with interest their Beater was Natalie McDonald, a Gryffindor reserve player. At first it felt odd without Alicia and Angelina flying alongside her, but she quickly adapted and exulted in the familiar rush of blood in her ears as she burned up the pitch and through the large hoops to score. 

Cho caught the Snitch fairly quickly, easily outmaneuvering the other side's Seeker, a second-year like Natalie who had just begun Quidditch that season. As the girls slowly floated down to the grass below, Katie hung back a bit in the hopes of getting a moment alone with Cho. 

However, her own presence seemed to be causing a stir; she noted with dread that Laura had been watching them play and now darted towards Katie.

"That was great," the blonde girl enthused, leaning close to Katie.

"Just a bit of fun," muttered Katie, glancing about the pitch.

"You're really good," Laura continued undaunted, and linked her arm through Katie's.

__

Blimey, thought Katie, _she really is a human Devil's Snare_. She looked up just in time to see Cho Chang narrowing her eyes at the sight of the two of them.

"Um, I'd better go," mumbled Katie, detaching herself. "Not much time before dinner." She didn't dare look back and sprinted ahead to the broomshed, where most of the other girls were putting away their brooms.

She tried in vain to catch Cho's eye, but the other girl was busy in conversation with her fellow Ravenclaws and didn't even notice her. Other people did, however. 

"Good to see you out," commented Susan Bones, who'd been playing Keeper that afternoon. "And I think I can safely say there are several people here today who are glad to see you on your own." She paused and gave Katie a knowing look. "I heard about you and Alicia -"

Katie interrupted her. "Would someone mind telling me just how many people know about Alicia and me?"

Susan grinned. "I don't know about all the girls – the younger ones especially just like a chance to play Quidditch - but there's a small but interested minority who know. We have our ways," she added, in answer to Katie's unspoken question. "Hope to see you next week." She waved and set off for dinner.

Not wanting to risk walking back with Laura, Katie didn't dare wait around for Cho and hurried off. She quickly reached the castle, and was just pulling open the enormous front doors when she heard a voice call her name. 

Turning, she saw Cho, who dashed up and repeated, "Katie, wait."

Having just succeeded in opening the door, Katie held it open and let Cho pass through before letting the heavy wooden doors bang shut. "What is it?"

"I'm glad you came today."

"Yeah, it was fun." Katie looked at her expectantly, unsure why Cho wanted her to wait.

A number of things seemed to be going through Cho's mind and finally she said, "When I saw you the other day, you mentioned Cedric…" 

"Oh! Right." Katie nodded and hoped she looked sympathetic.

"I wanted to explain - I don't think you really know what was going on."

"Cho, you don't have to explain anything to me," Katie said gently.

"I know, I just want to." Cho gave Katie one final, appraising look, took a deep breath and said, "You see, I didn't intend to go to the Yule Ball with Cedric. I'd been seeing someone else, actually."

"Really?" In spite of herself, Katie grew interested. 

Cho nodded. "Yes. I was going to go with Fleur Delacour. We had it all worked out - until that back-stabbing bitch turned on me and spent the whole night with Roger Davies!" Cho's dark eyes flashed dangerously and even now her cheeks flushed with anger at the memory.

"Fleur Delacour?" Katie stared. "You mean - you and Fleur were together?" she stammered in disbelief.

"That's right."

"Wow." Katie leaned against the stone wall for support. "I can't believe it. I mean, I thought you and Cedric were… but you and Fleur…" Complete sentences seemed to be eluding her.

"That's why I said it was a long story the other day. Sure you want to hear this?"

"Oh yeah." Katie crossed her arms and smiled down at Cho. A few minutes ago she'd been worried about meeting up with Angelina and Alicia in time for dinner but suddenly food was the furthest thing from her mind.


	2. Sock It to Me

A/N: Reader, I slashed her. Katie gets some action, and it's not with a boy. Any romantic entanglements found herein focus almost exclusively on girl-lovin'-girls. More notes at the end.

Love in Excess 2:Sock it to Me

"You were going to the Yule Ball with Fleur?" Katie asked in disbelief. "I didn't even know you were friends, let alone anything else…"

"I got to know Fleur pretty well last year. Beauxbatons students took all their meals with us and we had some lessons together as well," Cho began. The girls had left the Entrance Hall and now Katie was hunched close to Cho in an empty classroom in the dungeons. 

"I just can't believe Fleur likes girls," Katie interrupted, shaking her head in wonder.

Scowling, Cho said "Who knows what she likes? I think she gets off on attention and it doesn't matter who it comes from - male or female. I knew she was going to the Ball with Roger but she promised me she'd get rid of him after the opening dance and we could have the whole evening together. Things had been really romantic with her all that autumn…" Cho drifted off for a moment, apparently lost in fond memories.

Then her scowl returned and she said, "Now I see she was just leading me on shamelessly. I felt such a fool - looking back I'm sure she had no intention of ever meeting up with me, but I waited outside for her just as we'd agreed. It was tough, too, what with Snape patrolling and giving everyone detentions. I finally went back in to look for her. And on the way I found her - in the arms of Roger Davies!"

"Wow," whispered Katie, amazed. "What did you do?"

A satisfied smile settled on Cho's face. "Took a leaf out of Hermione Granger's book and conjured a fire. You'd have been surprised how long it took Roger to notice the flames on his dress robes, and then he was so close to Fleur she got a bit singed as well."

Katie smiled. "I bet she wasn't too happy about that."

"Hell hath no fury like a Veela scorched."

Katie's smile broadened and she noticed Cho looked amused at the memory. "But what about Cedric?"

The merriment in Cho's eyes instantly vanished. "When I went back inside he was frantic, asking me where I'd been. I think he was worried I'd been outside with someone else," she mused. "Harry Potter had asked me to go to the ball with him, and he'd gone outside just before I did, apparently. I was so upset about Fleur I didn't want to deal with any more drama, so I spent the rest of the Ball with Cedric. He was a really good dancer and really sweet, too."

"So you two started dating." Katie supplied the next sentence, feeling downcast as well. She had a feeling about why Cho was telling her all this - it was a roundabout way of explaining that she wasn't interested in Katie, that being with Cedric had made her realise she liked boys after all.

Cho nodded and kept talking. "I really did like him. And none of the girls I'd been interested in ever seemed to like me back, or if they did they got scared and called it off, or went back to the boys they'd been dating. It was just so much easier to be Cedric's girlfriend."

"I guess so." Katie tried to look understanding, but now that she saw where Cho was going with this she only wanted to get out of the room. 

However, what Cho said next made Katie lean forward again in surprise. "I guess it was wrong of me. I never told him the truth and I took him for granted. I just kept thinking 'he'll graduate in June and the relationship will be over, no hard feelings.' It seemed the easiest way out. But then -" As she talked, tears had welled up in Cho's eyes, and now she broke off, unable to finish her sentence. 

"I know," said Katie, automatically putting her arm around Cho and patting her on the back. 

Cho continued to weep and Katie continued to pat her awkwardly, unsure what to do or say. After a moment, Cho took a deep breath and dragged a hand across her face. Looking into Katie's eyes she said, "If there's one thing that situation taught me, it was not to take anything for granted ever again." 

Katie didn't know what to say. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn and she still wasn't sure what Cho was trying to tell her. They sat in silence for a moment. And then Katie became aware of the sound of hundreds of feet tramping above them.

"Dinner!" she gasped and shoved back her sleeve to check her watch. "I promised Angelina and Alicia I'd meet them!" she babbled, torn between feeling she ought to stay with Cho and knowing she would have to do some very fast talking to explain her absence to her friends.

But Cho seemed back to normal. Her eyes were slightly red but otherwise no sign remained of her outburst. "Better go meet them, then," she said.

Katie stood and they walked silently up the wide stone stairs leading to the Entrance Hall. When they reached the top step she stopped and asked, "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

Katie peered at her. "Why did you tell me all that? You didn't have to, you know."

"I know." Cho looked like she was about to say something else, but she suddenly froze.

Following her gaze, Katie turned and saw Alicia and Angelina standing nearby.

"Looks like your friends are waiting for you," said Cho, and walked away quickly to join a group of Ravenclaws.

Katie approached her two friends warily. "Hi."

"Hi yourself," said Angelina. Alicia was silent. "Is that why you ran off so fast earlier? Little rendezvous with Miss Chang?"

Katie winced at Angelina's teasing tone. She knew the other girl was just trying to be friendly but Angelina seemed oblivious to the way Alicia grew dark and brooding every time Katie's love life came up. 

"Not quite," muttered Katie, trying to catch Alicia's eye. "So, you two are going to Hogsmeade with Fred and George this weekend?" she asked Angelina in an abrupt change of topic.

"Yeah. We could make it a Weasley triple-bill and invite Ron along, but something tells me you're going to be fully booked this weekend, what with that Hufflepuff and now Cho Chang."

Katie stopped and spun to face Angelina. "There's nothing going on between me and either of them, okay?" she said, her words coming out more angrily than she'd intended.

Angelina looked surprised. "Okay, keep your hair on." They resumed walking but as they neared the Gryffindor table she added mischievously, "But if nothing's going on why do you care so much when I tease you about it?"

**

"You call that a pass?" Katie jeered as she zipped by a Slytherin Chaser and intercepted the Quaffle. She was fifty feet up in the air, Quaffle in hand, and on her way to what she hoped would be her sixth goal of their first game that season.

She flew unimpeded; the interception had been so surprising nobody was even marking her. She was approaching the goalposts when she heard the tell-tale whiz of a Bludger nearby and ducked her head, just avoiding it. Veering slightly to the right Katie saw she had company. The other Beater was closing in on her and the Keeper loomed ahead menacingly.

"Over here!" she heard Angelina yell and was pleased to see her fellow Chasers had quickly caught up with her. She passed the Quaffle to Angelina and looked for Alicia on her left. 

The other girl appeared next to her. Looking determined, she aggressively blocked for her team-mates. As Alicia took one hand off her broom to neatly catch the pass from Angelina, Katie felt a strange sort of pang while watching her. The afternoon sun glinted on Alicia's curly brown hair, giving it a reddish cast, and she was flying with the ferocious energy Katie so admired in her.

Based on their years of teamwork, Katie anticipated that Alicia would pass the Quaffle off to her again for the goal. Yet Alicia accelerated, obviously meaning to score herself. Katie sped up as well, until she was very close to Alicia. "Need a hand?" she called out. "I'm open."

To her utter surprise, Alicia almost growled at her. "Get out of it, Bell," she ordered and turned her eyes towards outmanoeuvring the Keeper, Quaffle firmly in hand.

Katie faltered for a moment, then resumed her speed and raced to match Alicia. She wasn't sure what was up, but at least she could help Alicia by being nearby and in position.

"I said, back off!" Alicia repeated, pivoting her broom to look at Katie. They locked eyes for a split-second. Then Alicia abruptly changed direction. As she did so, the back end of her broom caught Katie hard across the face. 

Katie jerked away on feeling the hard twigs of the broom tail against her cheekbone. Both the pain and the surprise blinded her for a moment. At that instant both Slytherin Beaters attacked, one sending a Bludger towards Alicia and the other aiming for Katie, who this time didn't duck quite fast enough. 

The Bludger was much harder than a broom tail - though it only grazed her mouth, the force was enough to make her teeth rattle. She licked her lips automatically and tasted blood. Hand to her mouth, Katie looked up in time to see Alicia slip past the Keeper and heard the Gryffindor stands erupt with shouts of approval as the Quaffle flew through the hoop. She saw George and Fred at midfield, sending the Bludgers back at Slytherin, but they hadn't been able to cross the pitch in time to protect their own Chasers.

"You okay?" Angelina swooped over and circled Katie for a moment, her eyes glancing over the long red scratches on Katie's cheek and her still-bleeding lip. "I'm calling a time-out," she announced and zoomed towards the referee.

"Bloody hell, Alicia! Didn't you see Katie was right behind you?" Angelina demanded as soon as Alicia and Katie landed. Madam Pomfrey was already dashing over, wand in hand.

The rest of the team touched down and looked on uneasily as Angelina continued yelling at her Chasers. "She was trying to help you and you nearly took out her eye!" 

"Sorry. I didn't know you were so close," said Alicia evenly. Katie stared at her. She knew Alicia was lying - they had been barely a foot apart when Alicia reversed so suddenly. But Katie also knew Alicia was angry in a way she had never before seen. 

Madam Pomfrey arrived, tut-tutted at Katie's face and raised her wand, ready to perform a healing charm.

"Is any of this bad?" Katie asked, touching her swollen mouth gingerly. The bleeding seemed to have stopped.

"No. It'll only take a moment, dear, hold still."

"Don't worry about it," said Katie suddenly. "I'll stop by the infirmary after the match." She jumped up and grabbed her broom, then flew to rejoin her teammates.

They played grimly on. Katie paid very close attention to where she flew now, especially around Alicia. They were well up, but Slytherin were known for come-from-behind wins and Malfoy had been improving as Seeker. "Come on, Harry," Katie muttered. A quick glance above showed him searching the area for the Snitch.

Warrington had the Quaffle now and Katie hurled herself forward on her broom. Drawing alongside the Slytherin Chaser she feigned cutting across the other Chaser's path and was pleased to see Warrington swerve slightly in response. With another burst of speed Katie gained enough space to really cut in front and forced her opponent to change course. 

The roar of the crowd made Katie look down, and she saw Harry and Malfoy racing for the Snitch. She sighed with relief as Harry pulled out of his dive with the Snitch glittering between his fingers. Although glad they'd won the match, for once Katie felt none of the exhilaration that usually accompanied a win, especially a victory against Slytherin. Of course she cheered along with the rest of the team, but as soon as she could, headed for the changing-rooms.

The rest of the team was still jubilant, all except Alicia who was just as quiet as Katie. Nobody paid them much attention, but Alicia was forced into merriment when George emerged from the boys' side and, grabbing Alicia's hands, danced her around the room. 

Katie took that moment to slip quietly out the door but was stopped by Angelina's hand on her shoulder. "Just a minute."

They stood outside, Katie looking at Angelina's puzzled yet annoyed face. "I don't know what's going on with you and Alicia, but as team captain I want it sorted out before we're all on that pitch together again - understand?" 

"I'm the one with the fat lip, Angelina. Why don't you save the speech for Alicia?" Katie snapped back.

"Look, I don't want to get drawn into your argument." Angelina's eyes were troubled as she peered down at Katie. "But _what_ is going on?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Katie. "But I do know one thing - every time you tease me about some new girl she gets upset. So maybe if you lay off with the comments -"

Angelina interrupted. "Don't say this is all my fault. I'm sorry if I hurt her feelings and I'll go tell her so right now. But there's more going on here - I need you to work together as a team. And I want you two back as my friends," she added with a worried scowl.

Katie sighed. "So do I, Angelina."

The Gryffindor captain turned and went back inside, leaving Katie free to go. She hadn't gone very far, however, when a voice said, "That's quite a cut you've got there."

Katie turned and saw Cho smiling at her. Few people were still around, all of Gryffindor having rushed back to the tower for a celebration and the rest of the stands had emptied as well. Katie did look around for Laura and was relieved to not see her. 

"Yeah. I guess I should go and see Madam Pomfrey like I promised."

"Or you could let me fix it."

Katie raised an eyebrow. "You know healing charms?"

"A few. But if you don't trust me…"

"I trust you." Katie grinned and resumed walking. "Let's just go somewhere else to do this, okay?"

Cho shrugged in assent and they walked down to the greenhouse area. No one was there and the tall rows of plants provided a nice cover.

With a flick of her wand, Cho brought two stools over and had Katie sit down. Drawing closer, Cho first reached out and touched Katie's cheek very gently. "Does it hurt?"

"Stings a little."

Cho nodded, then raised her wand and murmured an incantation unfamiliar to Katie. A jet of sparkling light shot from the wand's end, and Katie felt the sparks dust over her face with a soothing sensation. She reached up to her cheek; the skin was smooth once again and the scratches had disappeared.

Cho frowned. "Still a few traces but they should be gone by tomorrow. Okay, now this lip. I ought to clean off the blood first. Can you lean forward a bit? Thanks." Cho dabbed at Katie's lip carefully with a cool, smooth object she'd pulled from her robes. "Eradius stone," she explained. "Very handy for absorbing stuff like blood."

With the blood gone, Cho held her wand steady and uttered yet another charm. Katie closed her eyes and felt the heat vanish from her broken lip, felt the swelling diminish immediately.

"Wow, you're good," she said, running her tongue across her bottom lip and finding it back to normal.

"You don't have to sound so surprised," said Cho. She shook back her slinky black hair, smiling. "And yes, I'm very good."

"I don't doubt that." Katie returned Cho's flirtatious glance with one of her own. They'd been sitting close together while Cho worked on her injuries but now each girl moved back. Katie studied Cho's face for a moment, trying to decipher exactly what was going on.

Cho stood up, head tilted slightly to one side as if sizing up Katie. A smile still on her face, she ducked her head and turned away, heading for the castle. Katie followed her, taking two jogging steps to catch up. 

"Thank you," she said quietly, walking at Cho's side.

Cho stopped walking and turned to Katie. "No problem. Pain all gone?" she asked, touching her own mouth.

"Yeah. Like it never was hit by a Bludger."

"Good. Because if you don't kiss me right now you'd better have a really good excuse," announced Cho, abruptly taking Katie's hands and pulling her close.

Although startled by Cho's rather commanding statement, Katie had no problem complying. Holding on tightly to Cho's hands she bent down slightly and kissed her.

Katie had thought nothing could beat the rush she got from flying: the wind roaring in her ears, the quickening of her blood when she flew fast, but all those sensations and more came to her as she and Cho kissed by the greenhouse garden. 

Cho dropped Katie's hands and instead clutched at the front of Katie's robes, pulling her closer. Then she allowed her fingers to roam higher, running them through Katie's short hair, and kissed her with a fervor that left Katie startled. 

She quickly recovered from her surprise, however. Hands firmly on Cho's waist, she guided her back a few steps, against the glass of the greenhouse, and smiled down at her. Cho's lips, sun-swollen from an afternoon spent outdoors, parted slightly as she looked up invitingly at Katie. Closing her eyes, Katie bent towards Cho and kissed her, softly at first, then more intensely. Cho's hot cheek was against hers, and through the voluminous fabric of their school robes, Katie felt Cho's heart pounding against her own, felt her own body's pulse as they pressed together - shoulder to hip to heel. 

Katie wasn't sure how long they spent like that, but eventually, exhausted and flushed, they broke apart, both breathing hard. Cho's eyes were dark, darker than ever Katie had seen them, with the iris melding into the pupil.

"Well," said Cho, collecting herself after a moment, "I guess you'd better get off to Gryffindor common room - there's bound to be a party."

"I guess I'd better," agreed Katie. Her eyes remained on Cho. She wanted to kiss her again but knew they wouldn't, not that afternoon anyway. 

**

When she climbed through the portrait hole the party was already in full swing. George and Fred were spraying everyone with shaken bottles of butterbeer and Alicia stood happily drenched with the stuff. Harry was laughing at something Angelina had said and even Hermione Granger appeared to be having a good time. 

"There you are!" Fred bounded across the room and seized Katie's hand. "Madam Pomfrey get you all healed?" he asked, peering at her face. Without waiting for an answer he dragged her to the center of the party and raised her arm in his. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chaser Katie Bell. Bloodied by her own team-mate - who will be borrowing Harry's specs from now on while she flies - Katie courageously overcame her injuries to give us several goals and at least three assists."

Everyone clapped and butterbeer flowed. Katie looked over at Alicia. As she did so, she wondered just what her friend had been drinking. Alicia seemed downright giddy but glanced away when she caught Katie's eye.

Katie frowned, and was about to walk over to her when George dragged Alicia off to dance with a group of others, leaving Katie to collapse wearily on one of the sagging sofas. Harry perched himself on the back and remarked, "You really held it together when you got hit by that Bludger. Those things hurt."

"Yeah." Katie turned her attention to Harry. "But it didn't hit me full on. Madam Pomfrey would have had to give me Dentagrow if that had happened."

"You're lucky." Harry shuddered, thinking about the time he'd had to grow back the bones in his arm. 

"And as usual, you caught the Snitch."

Harry's face broke into a wide grin. "Yeah. Malfoy never really had a chance." He glanced across the room at Angelina and Alicia, dancing with the Weasley twins. "Everyone's been joking that now Angelina and Alicia are dating Fred and George, the third Chaser needs a Weasley boyfriend, too. How about a dance with Ron?" he teased.

"_What_?" Katie didn't laugh and Harry misinterpreted her reaction. 

"I was just kidding," he said hastily. "Ron hates to dance."

"No, sorry, I didn't mean that." Katie frowned. "You said Alicia is dating George? I thought they just tagged along with Fred and Angelina last weekend."

Harry shrugged and stood up. "Dunno. Don't you girls tell each other everything?" he teased before excusing himself to get another butterbeer.

Katie twisted around to better watch the dancing. Alicia was looking at George with significantly more friendliness than she had shown Katie all day. Sighing, Katie looked back at Harry, now engaged in conversation with Ron. A Weasley boyfriend - Katie smiled to herself, wondering what the others would say if they knew the only Weasley she'd be remotely interested in dating was Ginny.

**

Alicia had avoided Katie all day, but once they all went off to bed there was no ignoring each other. Katie had gone upstairs early and sat on her bed in blue striped pyjamas. Alicia wandered in from brushing her teeth and would have walked right past Katie had she not said something.

"Alicia, what's going on with you and George?" Katie tried to keep her voice casual.

Alicia sat on her own bed, opposite Katie. "What's it to you?" she answered sulkily. 

"Fine. We don't have to talk about George. Why don't you tell me what was going on this afternoon during the match?" Katie suggested, a bit more testily.

"I just wanted to give Slytherin what for. I didn't mean to hurt you," Alicia muttered, fiddling with the hem of her nightgown and not looking at Katie.

"I think you did."

Now Alicia looked up, face flushed and eyes crackling angrily. "What if I did? Do you care? It's like I don't even matter to you anymore!" she burst out.

"That's not true," protested Katie. "You're the one who's been freezing me out."

"You think it's easy for me, watching everyone chase after you?" cried Alicia. She stared at Katie for a moment then dropped her eyes and muttered, "I guess I was jealous of how everyone's been paying attention to you - all those girls after you, and then you were scoring non-stop in the match."

"I do not have 'all those girls' after me," Katie corrected. "Besides, you're the one who has a new _boyfriend_. How do you think that makes me feel? I didn't think you even liked boys, not that way."

"Maybe I like both." Alicia gave her an oblique glance. "What's it matter to you, anyway?"

"It matters because you're my friend." Katie no longer felt angry, just sad. "I've known you longer than anyone – since before we even started at Hogwarts. I meant it when I said I want us to be friends this year."

"I'll try, Katie. But right now, I'm not sure I can be friends with you like we were before," said Alicia. "Does that make sense?"

Katie nodded. Unfortunately, it made perfect sense.

"Good night," whispered Alicia, and twitched her velvet hangings close around her.

Katie pulled her own hangings shut and lay on her back. No sooner had she flopped down on the bed, however, than she felt something poking against her back and sat up. Twisting around, she saw a crumpled piece of parchment on the bed. Katie unrolled it and read a short note from Cho, which must have found its way into her dormitory via a House Elf. _Meet me tomorrow morning_, the note instructed. Smiling to herself, Katie tucked the note under her pillow and lay back down again, her worries over Alicia receding as she contemplated seeing Cho once more.

**

Cho had told Katie to meet her before breakfast, very early, in one of the empty classrooms. Since it was Sunday, nobody else was up; not even Filch and Mrs Norris were around as Katie crept to the agreed-upon room. 

Cho appeared even more dazzling to Katie than she had the day before, sitting at an empty desk with the bright morning light falling across her. Katie had thought they might chat a bit, but Cho didn't seem in the mood for small talk and anyway, being so close to her drove any coherent thoughts from Katie's mind. Suddenly all she wanted to do was kiss Cho again. 

Happily, this seemed to be exactly what Cho had in mind and it was several minutes before they actually said anything to each other. "You're so beautiful," Katie whispered, blushing as soon as she'd spoken. The words sounded clumsy and cliched and somehow inadequate.

But Cho seemed pleased enough. Smiling, she took Katie's hand and led her from the classroom, down the stairs and out through the front doors of the castle. The grounds were quiet and golden, the grass still dewy. They walked silently, hand in hand, until they reached the far side of the lake. Cho flopped down on the ground, shrugging off her robes. "I love being the first one up," she said to Katie. "It's like the whole of Hogwarts is just mine, no one else's."

Katie had to admit she wasn't normally an early riser. 

"I bet I could change that," teased Cho.

"I'm sure you could," Katie agreed. Cho was sprawled charmingly across the grass, her blouse coming untucked from her baggy pleated skirt, and she seemed completely unconcerned about anything at the moment. 

"You're awfully far away," noted Cho, now reclining on her robes. She propped her head up against one hand, the other hand resting lightly at the curve of her hip. 

Katie obligingly moved closer. "Better?"

"Almost." Cho pulled Katie to her, slipping her hand in between the fastenings of Katie's robes and hooking her calf against Katie's. Katie felt herself jump beneath Cho's touch. Cho's fingers, and her thigh, pressed ever more heavily against Katie, who gently pushed Cho onto her back and decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. It was barely sunrise, and hours until anyone would notice their absence.

Now it was Katie's weight that pressed against Cho, Katie's lips that made Cho sigh and long for more. And finally, it was Katie who pulled back and forced herself to stand up and take Cho back to the castle. After all, she reminded herself, the entire school year stretched before them. There was no need to rush things. In fact, she noted, glancing at her watch, they had spent almost two hours together and she still didn't know much more about Cho save the fact that she was possibly the most talented kisser Katie had ever met.

**

Next Herbology class, Katie made Angelina and Alicia promise to work with her but even so, she couldn't escape the looks of unmistakable longing Laura kept sending her way. As soon as the lesson was over, Laura made her way over and effortlessly separated Katie from her friends.

"You were really terrific this weekend," she purred. Katie looked down. Laura's hand was possessively on her arm and the girl was walking her along the path as if it were lover's lane.

"I, uh, didn't notice you there," muttered Katie, looking around desperately for Angelina.

"I know." Laura pretended to pout. "I heard you had to go off to Madam Pomfrey to have your injuries healed. You could have come to me, you know." Katie could have sworn the girl batted her eyelashes at her.

Katie forced herself to be very stoic and not think about exactly who had tended to her injuries. She had the uncomfortable feeling Laura could see every thought that passed through her mind. "Well, a professional is always best, don't you think?"

"Not always. So you are coming Thursday?"

"What's on Thursday?"

"You know." Laura jogged Katie elbow. "Girls' Quidditch?"

"Oh, right. Maybe. Depends on how busy I am." Katie finally saw her friends ahead and wished they would look back and rescue her. "Ow!" She jumped involuntarily as Laura's grip suddenly became much tighter. Looking up, Katie saw Cho come into view. Ravenclaw had Herbology next.

Katie shook off Laura's grasp and tried to walk more quickly, but it was too late. Cho had seen them and Katie could do nothing to appease the surprised and furious look that crossed Cho's face. 

"I'm going to be late," Katie said brusquely, dashing away from Laura.

Katie was so distracted throughout Potions she nearly missed out a key ingredient. Alicia grabbed her hand right before she tossed in a handful of nettles. "You didn't put in the fluxweed yet!" she pointed out in alarm. 

"Oh. Thanks." Katie took a minute to steady herself. Fortunately nothing dire like an exploding cauldron would have happened if she'd added the ingredients out of order, but being mocked by Snape for producing a strength-reducing charm instead of a strength-enhancing one was something best avoided. Fluxweed was such a variable element, and its order in the potion largely determined its impact.

As they filed from the dungeons two hours later, Katie found her mind alternating between Potions and the events of that afternoon. If she could just make Laura lose interest, she was certain she could smooth things over with Cho. Surely she would understand once she heard the whole story. Plus with Laura out of the way Angelina would no longer have cause to tease her and maybe even Alicia would stop feeling jealous. 

That evening, instead of heading straight for the common room, Katie went in search of Hermione. They may not have been close friends but even Katie knew the best place to find Hermione Granger was the library.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, approaching Hermione at a book-laden table.

"Sure." Hermione couldn't hide her surprise, but nonetheless she cleared a space nearby. 

Katie slid into a wooden chair next to Hermione. "I need you to help me find a potion that will make someone stop liking me," she announced. "A romance repellant."

************

OK, I can already hear Bookcat saying "Hermione's in everything." Yes, she is. I'm so fond of her, she keeps popping up everywhere. But will anyone love her for more than her immense magical knowledge? Better keep reading to find out… 

Cloud_strife: I know I haven't portrayed Fleur in a very flattering light thus far, but I don't dislike her, really! She may be bitchy, but that's part of her charm. Keith: No plans as of now to do sequels for Hermione's Heart or Demon Love, but you never know. 

As always, a cornucopia of gratitude to Wotan for beta-reading.


	3. Desperate Remedies

A/N: Welcome to yet more slash-o-rama, detailing Katie Bell's conquests over the hearts of adoring Hogwarts girls. Beta-ing courtesy of Wotan. If girl-to-girl love isn't your scene, now is an appropriate time to stop reading. 

Love in Excess 3: Desperate Remedies

"A romance repellant?" repeated Hermione. "Who're you trying to repel, exactly?"

Katie glanced away. "Does it matter?"

"I guess not." Hermione shrugged, but Katie could tell she was slightly hurt, possibly annoyed even, that Katie wouldn't share this piece of information. 

"I would tell you, it's just kind of…different," Katie trailed off lamely.

"Whatever. It's your business, I suppose." Hermione fiddled with her spellbook, absent-mindedly flipping pages.

Taking a deep breath, Katie mumbled, "It's to repel this…this Hufflepuff named Laura."

"But Laura's a girl." Hermione stopped flipping pages and frowned at Katie. "And anti-romance potions would usually be used for - _ooohh_!" she broke off as understanding dawned.

"You have a problem with that?" demanded Katie, feeling defensive and cranky all of a sudden.

Hermione shook her head vigorously, wide eyes still on Katie.

"Great. So you know how to do this anti-romance potion?"

Hermione shook her head again, more slowly this time. "No. I'd have to look it up."

"Well, you're the research diva - how long will it take?"

"Katie," began Hermione in an exasperated voice, "I can't just look up something like that. Those kinds of potions are dangerous - I'd have to get a note from Snape giving me permission to use the Restricted Section."

"Well, could you at least do some background reading in the meantime? See how exact it is? Because the last thing I need is to have it backfiring and putting off everyone."

Hermione smiled. "Everyone? Are there so many girls in love with you, then?"

"You sound like Angelina," groaned Katie, sinking her head to the table.

"Angelina?" Hermione raised both eyebrows, then shrugged and said, "I probably don't want to know -"

"Hermione!" Katie interrupted, "Angelina is my _friend_!"

"Okay, okay, keep your voice down." Hermione glanced over at Madam Pince's desk. 

"If you can't handle it -" began Katie hotly but Hermione shushed her, eyes still on the librarian.

"It's not _that._ Madam Pince will chuck us out for being too loud." She nodded over at the librarian, who gave them a rebuking glare but made no other punitive moves. Satisfied their position in the library appeared secure, Hermione turned again to Katie. "I'll see what I can find out. But I really can't think of any way to get Snape to write me a note."

"Does it have to be from him?"

Hermione considered. "I guess not. I did get one from, erm, Lockhart once," she admitted with a blush.

"Excellent." Katie slapped the table with both palms and stood up. "McGonagall loves you - ask her."

"No way. She'd ask what I wanted and she can always tell if you're lying."

"Lupin? You could say you need a Dark Arts book."

Hermione frowned. "I _do_ need a Dark Arts book for this. But I don't want to ask him - I couldn't lie."

"You need to loosen up in the scruples department." Katie sighed and sat back down.

"It's your potion - why don't _you_ get the note?" snapped Hermione. "You're a seventh-year, it's much easier for you to get permission."

"Because I don't know what I'm looking for."

"Well then," began Hermione, a lofty expression on her face, "hands-on research is the best way to learn. You get that permission note and then we'll talk." Smiling, she gathered up her things and pushed back her chair. "Coming to dinner?"

"Yeah." Katie stood up and together they walked back to Gryffindor tower.

**

Even though Katie was still far from completing her plan, she felt much calmer the rest of the evening, especially with the prospect of Hermione assisting her. She had a lot of homework to do and spent the time after dinner working companionably beside Alicia, with Angelina pulling up a third armchair in front of the fire. It felt just like old times. 

Next morning, however, Katie felt a bit less certain about her plan. Hermione was the only person she could even imagine getting a note granting complete access to the Restricted section; typically you had to specify which book you wanted, and Katie had no idea.

As her morning lessons dragged by, Katie understood why Hermione didn't want to deceive Professor Lupin. Although he was her best bet, being the sort who didn't probe too deeply if he thought you had a legitimate reason for wanting a book, Katie couldn't bring herself to pretend with him. Oddly, her mind kept drifting to Snape. She wanted a potion, after all, and he did give her reasonably high marks, considering she wasn't in Slytherin. Still, Katie couldn't imagine Snape writing her a note; to her knowledge he'd never done anything a Gryffindor student requested. 

"What's with you?" asked Angelina during the morning break. "We've got Transfiguration next - you'd better get your head out of the clouds for McGonagall."

"Sorry. Just worried about er, Potions," muttered Katie.

"We don't have a test today, do we?" Angelina began rifling through her bag in a panic.

"No. I just…I almost messed up last week and I don't want to do it again," said Katie, hoping Angelina's relief over no test would overshadow the lameness of her own excuse.

Following another abysmal Herbology lesson, however, Katie strengthened her resolve to ask Snape for the note. 

"I'll catch you up in a minute," she said to Angelina and Alicia just before they set off from the greenhouse to the dungeons. Making quite certain Laura was gone, Katie waited for Cho to appear.

She didn't have to wait long. The sixth-year Ravenclaws could soon be seen topping the hill and Katie heard their chattering voices as the approached the greenhouse. She headed up the small slope and intercepted Cho, drawing her aside. 

"Cho, I can explain about the other day," Katie said hurriedly. "About Laura, I mean."

Cho jerked away from her. "I saw what happened. What's to explain?"

Katie let out a short, irritated sigh. "I see you've already got the wrong idea."

Cho said nothing, merely gave Katie an impatient look. 

"There's nothing going on with her. Honestly, that girl is causing more problems for me."

"What, with your other girlfriends?" demanded Cho coldly.

"No. I don't have any girlfriends." Katie scowled, then stood back and fixed her gaze on Cho. "There's only one person I'm interested in, and that person is you. I know you had a bad experience with Fleur but I don't work like that."

Cho crossed her arms and tossed back her hair in a challenging manner. "Prove it to me."

"I will! Trust me Cho, Laura is never going to bother me again. I'm going to make things very clear for her." 

As Katie looked back at Cho, she could see she was relenting. "Well, I'll believe it when I see it," she muttered, but her small, pointed chin was no longer thrust out angrily at Katie and the beginnings of a pleased smile played at her mouth.

"You'll see it," promised Katie. Still unsure how friendly Cho was feeling towards her, Katie hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer and gave Cho a kiss. Her tentativeness vanished as Cho responded, but knowing how little time she had before Potions began, Katie pulled away ruefully and sprinted back to the castle. 

Luckily Katie was an athletic girl; most people couldn't have covered the distance between the greenhouse and the castle - let alone run down two flights of stairs - on time. Katie plopped into her seat just moments before Snape swept into the classroom. She was still breathing hard and her face was flushed, but he seemed not to notice. Instead, his black eyes glittered with the kind of malice that sent a tremor of nervousness across the Gryffindor side of the room. 

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he snapped, as if they should all have been able to divine his intentions immediately. "Partner up!"

"You two can work together," muttered Katie to Angelina and Alicia. Taking a deep breath, she volunteered to partner Warrington. Snape's eyebrows shot up for a moment, disappearing under his long, untidy hair, and he regarded Katie with a kind of knowingness.

"Miss Bell?" he inquired. "Any particular reason for this display of inter-house cooperation?"

"Well sir," began Katie as blandly as possible, "last time you had us work together I realised I learned a lot, and there's the practice NEWT papers coming up…" she shrugged and tried to look ingratiating. Her latest encounter with Cho had left her feeling unaccountably pleased, and gave her a temporary boost of confidence.

"Very well. See that you pull your own weight, however." With a final, probing look at the pair of them, Snape moved along to the next table.

Katie kept her head down, avoiding the baffled glances she knew Angelina and Alicia must be sending her. In fact, without even looking she knew Angelina was regarding her with a 'have you gone mad?' expression.

Today they were working on a tricky concoction: an enervating potion. She noticed that last time they'd done strengthening potions and before that, weakening. They'd been warned about adding ingredients out of order and ending up with the opposite potion instead, as Katie had almost done before. 

"If we're doing enervating today, does that mean next lesson we're creating something that makes you hyperactive?" Katie heard Alicia wonder, and saw her cast an uneasy glance at Fred and George, working at the next table up.

Katie smiled to herself, and had to agree Alicia's concern was well-founded. The last thing any of them needed was Snape deciding to test their potion-making skills by having students consume the results of their work. Fortunately he seemed to have backed off that idea, at least with their group. The memory of the twins under the influence of a vocal potion remained fresh with everyone in their year, all of whom agreed the potion hadn't worn off fast enough.

After everyone else had cleared away at the end of the period, Katie approached her teacher. "Yes?" Snape looked up from the papers he was marking. 

Now that she was actually face to face with him, Katie felt her nerve would fail. She'd never been so close to Snape, alone. His eyes were so dark and intense, reminiscent of a predator waiting for its prey to make a mistake. 

Holding the image of Cho foremost in her mind, Katie took a deep breath and uttered her request. "Professor, I noticed we've been studying potions that have opposites: strengthening and weakening, for instance. I was wondering if you could recommend some more reading on such potions - what the connections are, what the fine differences are, that sort of thing." She knew she sounded nervous - she hadn't even breathed while speaking and it all came out in a rush.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Why the sudden concern, Miss Bell?" He glanced down at his roster. "Your marks have been just fine. I can't imagine you're worried about your exams just yet." He folded his hands in a deliberate gesture on top of his desk and smiled at her. "Why would you want any extra reading?"

Still meeting his gaze, Katie replied, "Well, it is the NEWTs. And as you've told us, Potions isn't something you can cram for at the last minute."

Now he leaned back in his chair, still surveying her. "Very well, I have a recommendation for you. One moment, please." He took a blank parchment and began writing. "Here. You'll need to give this to Madam Pince. And I expect a two page summary of what you've learnt when you're done with it," he added, handing her the note.

"Thank you, sir." Katie didn't even dare to read the note, just clutched it in her hand and backed out of the dungeon, nodding to Snape.

"What is _with_ you today?" Angelina's voice made Katie jump and turn round. Her two best friends were standing just outside the door, waiting for her.

"Since when do you suck up to Snape?" demanded Alicia.

Both girls stared at her incredulously. "Yeah, that's letting down the side, that is," said Angelina. "No self-respecting Gryffindor tries to get in with Snape. What's that?" 

Seeing Angelina's eyes on the parchment, Katie tried to mix it in with her Potions notes. "Nothing."

"Let's see it." Angelina reached for the note.

"Don't! Come on, we'd better get going," urged Katie and began walking upstairs. 

"What's in the note, Katie?" Alicia asked quietly. 

Reaching the first landing, Katie stopped, turned and faced her friends. "It's a permission note from Snape for a Restricted book."

Even Angelina had nothing to say to this startling announcement, not immediately anyway. When she found her voice again, however, her words tumbled out: "Snape? Restricted section? What are you playing at, Katie?"

They had reached the main corridors again and Katie was grateful for the noise made by everyone else as she whispered, "I want to learn how to make an anti-romance potion."

"A what?" Angelina screwed up her face.

Alicia seemed to understand perfectly, however. "Who's it for?"

"Who do you think? That Hufflepuff who can't keep her hands to herself."

"But you could get in a lot of trouble," Alicia said, turning worried eyes to Katie. "You don't need to make something like that. I'm not jealous anymore, honest."

Looking down into Alicia's eyes, Katie realised with a mild shock that she was telling the truth. Her eyes were earnest and worried, and her lips were starting to settle into a firm line indicating her determination to prevent Katie from going through with it.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Alicia continued, "but I'm over you - really. I know I was angry with you before, but I thought about what you said to me that evening after the Quidditch match and you're right - we need to stick together as friends."

Given that Alicia was so convinced the potion was for her sake, Katie quickly decided against enlightening her on the larger motivation. Instead she said, "I'm glad you feel that way."

"So you won't do it?" Alicia walked quickly to keep up with Katie's longer strides.

"I still have to take out the book now he's given me this note," sighed Katie. "Told me I have to write a summary."

"I hope that teaches you not to ask Snape for anything," Angelina said. "What got into you, thinking some Dark Arts potion is the perfect solution? It's just a stupid crush - she'll get over it."

**

But Katie wasn't so convinced Laura would have a change of heart any time soon. Besides, she'd promised Cho to put an end to any further Laura entanglements, and a potion seemed the quickest - and most direct - way to do it. She was doing Laura a favour, really. There was no way Katie even wanted to be her friend at this point, let alone girlfriend, so the sooner Laura lost interest the better.

After dinner, Katie entered the library and presented her note to Madam Pince. The librarian seized the parchment, read it over twice, then inspected Katie with suspicious eyes. "Well, if it's from Severus Snape you must be serious," she finally said, and marched Katie over to the appropriate shelf. "Here you go." She handed her a very large, very old and very dusty book. It was so heavy, in fact, that Katie staggered under the weight of it. Trust Snape to assign her a book that required swallowing a strength potion just to carry it. 

Nonetheless, the sheer volume of the book made it that much more likely she'd find the kind of potion she wanted. Settling herself at an empty table, Katie opened to the contents and began to read.

"Ooohhh, what's that?" Hermione Granger had spotted Katie in the library and was now casting envious glances at the leather-bound tome. 

"Have a seat." Katie gestured to the chair across from her and Hermione promptly sat down.

"I can't believe you got the note already. Don't even tell me how you did it."

Without looking up, Katie said one word: "Snape."

"_What_?" Hermione was so shocked she forgot to whisper. Flinching at the loud tut-tut she received from Madam Pince, Hermione lowered her voice and leaned across the table. "What'd he give you?"

Katie hoisted the book's spine up with difficulty. _Exhaustively Complete Potions: Theory and Method_ it read.

"What have you found?" asked Hermione, now craning her neck and trying to read upside down.

"I just started. So far I'm on the table of contents."

Hermione pushed back her chair and came to stand behind Katie, reading over her shoulder. "Hmm, Theory of oppositionals, that sounds promising. Or how about theoretical background of -"

"Maybe you should just take a look, " sighed Katie and slid to one side.

Hermione eagerly sat down and ran a finger along the entries. She flipped the thick, dusty pages until over half-way through the volume, then found what she was looking for. 

"What're you reading?" Katie asked, wondering how she was going to read all this, let alone fit her summary into two pages.

"Love and Romance," Hermione whispered, eyes zipping across the pages.

"I don't want a love potion. I want an out-of-love one."

"I know. They're all in the same section." Hermione fell silent and Katie waited patiently while she read. So much for hands-on research. Reading obscure books was how Hermione partied, Katie decided as she watched her.

"Oh no," Hermione murmured under her breath. Katie sat up.

"What? What's 'oh no'?"

Hermione partly closed the book and turned to look at Katie. "I hate to say this, but I don't think there's a potion that will do what you want."

"What? That's impossible. You just haven't read enough. Let me see that," urged Katie, reaching for the book.

"It says very clearly in the theory section," began Hermione, shaking her head.

"There are thousands of potions in there - don't tell me there's not an anti-romance one."

"Well, there isn't," snapped Hermione, pulling the book from Katie's grasp. "That's the problem with love spells - most of them have no antidote."

"But I don't want an antidote. I just want something to make her fall out of love."

"Maybe you should try a spell."

Katie sat back. "A spell?"

"Yes. Read this part." Hermione opened the book again and shoved it over to Katie. 

She skimmed the pages, which were all devoted to the theory behind the potions, and her eyes fell on the section to which Hermione referred. Nothing she didn't already know – love potions were ingested, effects were usually permanent, taking multiple love potions together could result in a fatal interaction of the two substances. Then, her eyes fell on the part Hermione must have just read – success in countering love potions had occurred in limited instances by using spellwork. 

"I suppose the spellbook I'd need is also restricted," sighed Katie, looking over at Hermione.

"Maybe." Hermione cast an eye over at the Restricted shelves before returning her gaze to Katie. "I really don't think you should do this."

"Did I ask for your opinion?"

"No, but you asked for my help." Hermione flushed slightly and her eyes became stormier. "These things can be _permanent_, Katie. I know everyone thinks, 'oh, a love potion will solve all my problems', but everything I've ever heard - or read - about them says in no uncertain terms that they're dangerous. And anti-love potions or spells are just as bad."

Katie rolled her eyes. "They're just trying to scare us off. Look, what's the point of being a witch if you can't use magic to solve a little problem?"

"Just talk to her and explain. You don't need to use magic." Hermione's voice became less angry and more pleading. "Like I said, this could be permanent. I know you don't think you like her now, but what if your feelings change? Maybe you'll fall in love later and never be able to be together because of some stupid thing you did at age seventeen!"

"I'm willing to take my chances."

"But you can't know for certain, " persisted Hermione. "Mrs Weasley told me when she was at school Mr Weasley used to sit behind her in class and hit her with a rolled-up _Daily Prophet_ to get her attention. She used to think he was really annoying, but then her feelings changed…what if yours do, too?"

Katie stood up and closed the book. Leaning her hands on the book's cover, she said, "They won't change. If you don't want to help me, you certainly don't have to - just let me do what I want." Being taller than Hermione, Katie was able to look down at her in an imposing manner.

Hermione, however, did not appear intimidated. Rising, she faced Katie and said, "Will you at least think about what I said before you do anything?"

"Fine," snapped Katie. "I'll think about it." She hoisted up the book and stalked away. Hermione's help would have been nice, but it certainly wasn't essential.

**

Re-reading the book late that night in bed, Katie noticed that Hermione hadn't been quite right. Reading beyond the theory section, Katie learned the book said only that love and anti-love potions couldn't be taken together, leading her to hope once again there might be a something to suit her needs. Scanning the pages that followed, she sifted through love potions, passion restoratives, and aphrodisiacs until coming to the potions designed to make people fall out of love. 

CAUTION: DO NOT CONSUME AFTER INGESTING ANY VARIETY OF LOVE POTION read the large caption at the start of the section, and in a moment the letters began to blink and a high-pitched shriek sounded. Katie quickly turned the page and held the book under her pillows. She waited for a moment to see if anyone had heard, but Angelina merely tossed in her sleep. 

Katie read more carefully now. What she needed was an Indifference potion, she decided. There was an entry, but it merely directed her to the Jealousy section. Laboriously flipping back to the J entries, Katie finally located the directions, after first being sidetracked reading about a class reunion jealousy potion - guaranteed to make former classmates jealous of your figure, your marriage and your career. 

The Indifference potion was remarkably simple, at least in terms of ingredients. Brewing the potion, however, required complete accuracy. Not measuring out the exact weight of each powder could result in a hostility brew, for example. Katie sat back against her pillows and wondered when she would have the time and privacy to devote herself to this potion. 

Reading the list of ingredients again, Katie realised she had everything she needed to make it. Why not do it now? She slipped out of bed, crept to her trunk and removed her Potions kit, then tiptoed to the girls' bathroom. It was the middle of the night and even Hermione Granger was bound to be sleeping rather than studying, giving Katie complete privacy.

Katie arranged her materials, set the enormous book on the ledge by the sinks, and read over the instructions once again. Satisfied she knew what to do, she measured out her ingredients, double-checking every step to ensure accuracy. Once she'd combined all the ingredients, Katie set her timer for the exact simmering duration and waited.

__

The ways of love are often misconstrued

Once magical workings are set in motion.

But heed well the making of this potion 

And the strongest passion will be subdued.

Katie re-read the last lines again with a sense of relief. Assuming she made the thing correctly, this potion appeared to guarantee even someone as persistent as Laura would become indifferent around her. The timer chimed, and Katie removed the potion from the flame. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, then at the glass beaker in her hand, containing bright pink potion. She waited until it had cooled, then - taking a final, deep breath - Katie lifted the solution to her mouth and swallowed it. 

"Bleh!" Katie hastily ran water and drank from the tap. The liquid had a bitter taste; somehow, she'd expected something so brightly pink to taste sweet, like cherry or strawberry. 

"Who cares what it tastes like, as long as it works," Katie said to her reflection. She brushed her teeth again to completely clear the taste from her mouth, gathered up her kit and returned silently to her room.

**

Katie could hardly contain herself the next day. Although tired from lack of sleep, she was so nervous and excited about discovering if the potion had worked - or if she'd accidentally made Laura hate her - she could hardly wait until Herbology.

"Hi, Katie," purred Laura as she approached the greenhouse.

"Hi, Laura," returned Katie. Maybe she needed to be closer to her for the effects to be seen. She slowed as she walked right past Laura, eagerly anticipating seeing the other girl recoil, or just walk away indifferently.

Neither reaction occurred. In fact, Laura showed no sign of indifference at all. Katie's mood plummeted from anticipation to despair. The stupid potion hadn't had _any_ effect. Feeling thankful that at least she hadn't gone wrong and created a hostility potion, Katie decided she had no choice but to follow Hermione's suggestion and actually talk to Laura.

After the lesson was over, she took Laura aside and said, "We need to talk."

"About time." Laura smiled, but her smile quickly faded once Katie explained herself. 

Watching the other girl's face, Katie didn't feel nearly as relieved as she had imagined, and wished again her potion had worked so that she wouldn't have had to be so blunt. 

"Is there someone else?" asked Laura suspiciously, and Katie couldn't help noticing Ravenclaw coming over the hill. Laura noticed her roaming attention and snapped, "It's Cho Chang, isn't it? Fine. Knock yourself out trying to get _her_ attention." She stormed off just as Cho swept past them.

"Hey, Cho!" Katie called out gently and caught at her sleeve. Pulling her over to a secluded area of bushes, she rested her hands on Cho's shoulders and kissed her.

For a moment Cho kissed back, but for only a moment. Breaking away from Katie's grasp, she stared with an expression of both horror and bafflement. "What's going on?" she gasped.

Katie's grin flickered for a moment. "I just told Laura I'm not interested. Wasn't quite how I'd planned, but -"

"No," cut in Cho, hand creeping to her mouth, "It's you. I - I don't feel anything towards you. Just a moment ago I did, but when you kissed me -" she stopped talking again and backed away from Katie as if she were possessed.

Panic rose up in Katie. "What do you mean?" she asked, knowing in advance what the answer would be.

"Just as I said - there's nothing there. I want there to be, but it just feels…wrong," whispered Cho. "What's going on? Did Laura do something to you?"

Katie grasped at a nearby tree branch for support, feeling on the verge of collapse. Everything was getting very dark at the edges, she couldn't focus and she suddenly felt overheated as the full import of what she'd done sank in. The potion had worked, all right - but it had affected Cho instead of Laura. 


	4. Bothered, Bewildered and Confused

A/N: Obligatory slash reminder. Perhaps an angst-alert is in order, too, for this episode, as there is rather less kissing and more moping. And (tipping my hat with a flourish) thank you to Wotan for beta-reading.

Love in Excess 4: Bothered, Bewildered and Confused

__

Hopeless and silent, I must still adore,

Her heart's more hard than stone whom I'd implore

You wrong your love, while you conceal your pain

Stones will dissolve with constant drops of rain.

- Eliza Haywood

Katie dashed once again from the greenhouse to Snape's dungeon, but this time she had cut it too fine and hurtled through the door minutes after the bell had rung. She stood gasping in the doorway, hand still on the knob, trying to catch her breath.

"Miss Bell," Snape acknowledged her, icily. "Five points from Gryffindor for tardiness. And where is that report you promised me?"

Katie turned wild eyes to him. "Report?" she managed to gasp out. "But I only got the book yesterday, and it's huge!"

"No excuses. I expect two pages of parchment by Friday. Feigning interest in advanced potions does not give you the right to be late to my lessons."

Katie slunk from the doorway to the back of the room, where Angelina and Alicia had saved her a seat. She expected Snape to move her, but he had already returned to the front board, where he was explaining a reaction between two key potion ingredients. When his eyes next sought her out he merely examined her with a look that a python might give to the rat it intended to consume.

"What's wrong?" whispered Angelina once they began working. 

"Nothing."

"Don't even bother lying," snapped Angelina. "You look like you didn't sleep at all last night and now you come rushing into Potions late, losing us points."

"Are you okay?" Alicia leaned across the now-hostile Angelina and gave Katie a sympathetic look.

"No, not really," she admitted, suddenly afraid she was going to cry. She was so tired, and the full range of emotions she'd experienced - excitement, anticipation, despair - overwhelmed her, as did the bleakness of her situation. "But I can't talk here. I'll tell you later," she whispered, and tried to make her hand form into a fist around her pestle. 

Seeing the tears in Katie's eyes, Angelina relented and took the mortar and pestle from her. "Just hold it together for two hours, okay?" she muttered, grinding away. "Snape keeps looking over here and if I'm not mistaken, the last thing you want is to break down in the middle of Potions."

Katie nodded and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe how much she had screwed up. Angelina would be furious with her for not telling about Cho, and for going ahead with the potion-making, as would Alicia. Katie honestly didn't expect much sympathy or assistance from them once they heard the whole story. The one person Katie thought might be able to help was Hermione, and Katie knew her reaction would be the same as the others once she found out Katie had ignored her advice as well. 

**

"I just don't see how it could have failed," concluded Katie, hunched in a far corner of the common room. Angelina and Alicia were perched on the arms of nearby chairs, having just heard the whole story. 

Alicia snorted. "Easy. It says the strongest passion will be subdued. Laura just had a crush on you, but it looks like Cho felt something more. I guess I should feel fortunate that at least you respected me enough to break up with me properly, instead of using a potion," she added with more than a trace of bitterness.

"It never even occurred to me to do something like that to you!" protested Katie. "Besides, I wasn't trying to break up with Laura - we were never going out."

Angelina shook her head. "Don't you trust us, Katie? You promised to tell me next time you were interested in someone, and instead of talking to me you just go off and concoct this hare-brained plan!"

"Maybe if you didn't tease me so much -" began Katie, but Alicia cut her off.

"Yeah, you promised you'd tell me if you were dating someone else and you didn't," she said, joining in Angelina's mood of betrayal.

"How many times do I have to say it? I wasn't going out with her!" Katie glared at her two friends.

"Who weren't you going out with?"

All three girls jumped and turned their heads to see Fred Weasley smiling at them. 

"None of your business," muttered Katie.

"Oh, come on, Katie, he knows about you," said Angelina, hopping off the chair's arm and moving to Fred's side.

"You told him?" Katie tried not to yell, since as far as she was concerned there were already too many people in the common room who knew about her sexual orientation.

"Apparently she didn't tell me enough," grinned Fred, putting an arm around Angelina's waist. "What's up? Broken heart getting you down?"

Katie shook her head. "Nothing that simple, I'm afraid." 

"She made an Indifference potion to get rid of one girl who had a crush on her, but instead it repelled the girl she wanted to go out with," explained Alicia succinctly.

Katie gave Alicia a sour look. "Thanks a lot. Can't a person have a private life around here?"

Alicia raised one eyebrow at her cattily. "Fine." She turned back to Fred. "Don't tell anyone else."

"Not even George?"

"Okay," sighed Katie, covering her face with her hands. "You can tell George. But nobody else. You have any bright ideas about how to fix this mess?" she asked Fred, removing her hands.

"Potions is hardly my best subject," he said. "What about asking Hermione Granger?"

Katie shook her head. "No. She wouldn't help me even make the potion, said it was too dangerous. She'll probably run to one of the teachers if she finds out I actually did it."

Fred settled himself and Angelina on the arm of a chair. "Well, you may have actually topped George and me for sheer stupidity – not that there's anything wrong with that – " he added hastily on beholding her angry expression, "but surely there's some way out of this jam. Go and read that book some more. It's only an Indifference potion – maybe it wears off after a while. Usually the stronger the emotion the more difficult it is to counteract. It's not as if you made her hate you."

"No, she'll do that on her own," replied Katie morosely. "But I may as well read some more. I still have to turn in a report for Snape by the week's end." 

She stood up and headed for the seventh-year girls' dormitory, but had only just started up the stairs when Hermione dashed up beside her. 

"I heard what you were talking about," she announced disapprovingly.

Katie stopped and turned to face Hermione. "Then spare me the lecture, okay? I know you don't approve, I know it was a stupid thing for me to do but I'll probably be miserable for the rest of my life so I hope that makes you happy."

"I don't want you to be miserable for the rest of your life," Hermione replied, looking startled at the vehemence of Katie's tone. "But it's not as though you two were even going out - maybe you're blowing this all out of proportion. Maybe it's not as bad as you think."

Katie stared at Hermione, all the anger and frustration of her day suddenly targeted at the other girl. "Blowing it out of proportion?" she repeated. "Who are you to tell me my feelings are out of proportion? You think you and Harry Potter are the only ones who can nurse some grand-scale, operatic passion for each other? I'm sorry I ever dragged you into this."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Katie had already turned and was now running up the stairs. Leaning against the wall, Hermione both heard and felt Katie's door slam shut, the vibrations running all along the stairwell walls. She was about to return to the common room, then changed her mind and walked slowly up to her own dormitory.

**

The potion didn't wear off, and Katie was almost glad when temperate autumn days gave way to the beginnings of winter, with its darker days to match her mood. She sat alone in the common room, trying to concentrate on balancing an equation for Potions homework. The wind whipped against Gryffindor tower, gusting through tiny chinks between the windows. Katie burrowed down further into her chair and drew her robes around her. 

At first she didn't pay attention to the tapping at the window, thought it was simply the wind, until she glanced up and saw an owl blowing by, then circling round again to tap once more at the window. Setting down her homework, Katie walked to the window and opened it. All nearby heads lifted up and glared at her as the open window let in a blast of cold air.

She quickly shut the window and carried in the owl, its feathers chilly to the touch. The note attached to its leg bore her name, written in a familiar hand. Setting the owl by the fire to warm up, Katie retreated to her chair and unrolled the parchment to read Cho's note.

Cho hadn't written to her in weeks, not since Katie had written and explained what had happened. They hadn't even spent any time together since that awful moment by the greenhouses. Katie found her hands almost trembling with anticipation as she flattened out the paper, hoping Cho had somehow recovered from the potion and was writing to tell her so. 

Instead, the note simply told her to meet Cho outside in one hour's time. Katie cast a worried eye at the window, wondering to herself if Cho had also become indifferent to her surroundings to suggest going out in this weather. Still, Katie would have tromped through a blizzard to see Cho again, and had a difficult time concentrating on her homework for the next hour. 

Bundled in her warmest cloak, Katie sat on a chilly stone bench just outside the castle and waited. Cho appeared from around the corner, looking tiny and dwarfed by her voluminous black winter cloak. 

She sat next to Katie and in answer to her curious face explained, "The castle's too crowded tonight - I thought this would be the best way to ensure privacy."

Katie nodded, never taking her eyes off Cho. Even if all she got to do was look at her, it was enough. 

"This is really hard for me," said Cho, drawing her hands up into the depths of her sleeves as the wind whistled past them. "The only thing that makes me even try to see you is the memory of how I felt. It's very odd. I don't think about you during lessons, I don't look for you in the corridors or at meals - but I used to do those things every day. There's a weird disconnect between how I remember feeling, and what I actually do feel when I'm right beside you. Which is nothing."

Katie nodded. She wanted to take Cho's hands in her own, warm them up, but she knew there was no point. "I've been reading," Katie began. "So far I haven't found anything that will reverse the situation but just give me a little more time and I'm sure I can change this."

Cho looked at her sadly. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I know you've been miserable, but so have I. I can't take this anymore. You don't know what it's like, being affected by this potion."

"It's not that I miss you, exactly," she explained, seeing Katie' face light up with hope at her words. "When we're apart I remember how I felt for you, but as soon as I'm anywhere near you those feelings go away and I just don't care. You did make a repellent, you know. Even sitting this close to you feels odd. I think for both our sakes we ought to stay away from each other. You'll meet somebody else, it'll be okay eventually."

"No it won't!" The anger of Katie's words cut through the chilly air. "You felt something for me, Cho, something strong - that's the only reason this stupid potion affected you. How can you walk away from that? Love is stronger than indifference. I can't, I won't believe things are over between us."

"You think love is stronger than indifference?" Cho smiled, but without a trace of humour or pleasure. "Indifference makes a person invisible to you. You just don't care. Hate would almost be better - at least then you feel something."

"Fine," snapped Katie, standing up. "Let me get you really angry and maybe you'll start hating me instead, give us something to work with."

Cho also stood and now she shrugged. "You can try but that's the point. I won't get angry with you. I just won't feel…anything. And that's worse."

"You don't have to tell me," whispered Katie, the anger draining out of her as she looked in Cho's eyes and saw the girl meant what she said. There was no emotion there. 

It seemed impossible to Katie that Cho, who had kissed her so eagerly not so very long ago, could look at her now with such vacant eyes. Even a magic potion shouldn't be able to separate two people if they were really, truly meant for each other, should it? Impulsively she leaned in, took Cho in her arms and kissed her. But instead of kissing back, Cho ducked her head and pulled away, her expression nonplussed.

"It doesn't work like that, Katie," she said patiently. "There is no magic kiss that will undo the effects of the potion. It's always going to be this way, as long as I'm around you. Now do you see why I can't take it anymore?"

Katie nodded mutely, horror settling in as she realised _she_ was what repelled Cho. Without another word, Katie turned and ran back to Gryffindor Tower.

By the time she reached the common room it had started to rain and the storm could be heard beating against the walls and the roof-tops. Katie felt Angelina and Alicia raise their heads and look at her as she climbed through the portrait hole, but she headed straight for their dormitory, taking the stairs two at a time.

The room was dark and chilly, just about matching her mood. Katie conjured a fire - which cast weird, flickering shadows across the hardwood floor - and climbed up into the window seat. Usually on such a night she would have avoided the perch, as it was the least insulated area of the room and you could feel the cold and damp whistle through the casings. But tonight she sat in silence and watched the large, fat raindrops hit the outer ledge, watched them strike against the window pane and run down the glass in furious rivulets.

She heard the door open and turned towards the sound, expecting to see Angelina or Alicia. Instead she saw Hermione peering uncertainly around the heavy door. "Katie?"

Katie relaxed and slouched back against the stone wall. "Yeah."

"Can I come in?" Hermione remained in the doorway, blinking in the darkness.

"Sure." Katie sighed, watching Hermione close the door and pick her way around the four-posters over to the window.

"I brought you something."

Katie reached out her arm to meet Hermione's hand and took a slender book from her. "_Hegel Was An Alchemist: Towards a Dialectic of Potions-making_?" she said dubiously, reading the book's title.

Hermione nodded. "I got it in the Muggle Studies section at Flourish and Blotts this summer. It's written by a Muggle-born wizard. I haven't read it yet myself, so I don't know if it has anything helpful, but I just thought…"

Katie forced herself to smile. "Thanks, Hermione." She flipped idly through the pages, then stopped when she realised Hermione was still standing before her. "So who's this Hegel?"

Hermione brightened visibly, even in the eerie red firelight, and embarked on a rushed explanation, concluding with, "I just thought those ideas might help you find a way out of your own binary thinking - love or hate, in love or not in love. You know, find the synthesis?"

"I never wanted to make anyone hate me," Katie said softly. 

"I know. Just…read it. I'll let you know if I come across anything else that might help."

Katie slid down from the window-seat. "Thanks," she repeated, and looked down again at the book in her hands. As Hermione turned to go, Katie asked, "Why are you doing this? Helping me, that is?"

"Well, it is a very interesting situation you're in," Hermione began in her typical expository voice, but she suddenly became self-conscious, dropping her eyes as she added, "and it's not true, what you said before - about operatic passions, I mean. I never meant to belittle your feelings for Cho. That wasn't what I meant at all."

"I know. I'm sorry I got angry with you. I was just really upset that day."

Hermione nodded. "Oh, and just so you know, Katie, I'm not nursing some grand passion for Harry. Or for Ron. Or any boy, really. I've got my OWLs to study for this year and I really don't have time for romance," she explained with a return of Hermione-primness.

Before Katie could say anything else, Hermione turned again and made for the door, closing it swiftly behind her. Katie waved her wand at the fire so that it jumped up with a blaze of added warmth, lit the room more conventionally and settled on her bed to read Hermione's book.

**

The rain continued throughout the night and only let up late the next morning, in the midst of Transfiguration. When she trooped into the Great Hall for lunch, however, Katie noted the enchanted ceiling overhead remained gloomy and grey, with no hint of brightening sun. 

Gloominess lingered the rest of the day and for once Katie didn't look forward to Quidditch practice. Low-lying, wispy fog gathered across the grounds and a wet, bone-piercing chill cut through Katie's heavy cloak as she squelched along the soggy grass, flanked by Alicia and Angelina. Katie knew it would be no good appealing to Angelina to postpone practice; she had become almost as fanatical as Oliver Wood once had been about the importance of playing in all sorts of conditions.

Once in the air, however, Katie forgot about the cold and became aware only of scrambling for the Quaffle, the physical demands of managing her broom through turbulent air and out-manoeuvring anyone who came her way. Only when they touched down again did she notice the moist air had soaked right through her cloak, leaving her limbs clammy and damp. The rest of her team-mates looked equally exhausted, Harry's black hair standing up in damp spikes at odd angles, his glasses fogged. The prospect of a hot shower, followed by tea in front of the common room fire, had never been so appealing.

She was just emerging from the changing-rooms with the other girls when Fred, George and Harry also appeared. They all walked companionably up to the castle, eyes on the lights shining from the many turrets and windows, all of them anticipating the warmth that would greet them. Katie let herself relax and feel the stirrings of something approximating happiness - an emotion that had been in short supply for her lately. 

"Glad it's Ravenclaw playing Slytherin tomorrow, and not us," remarked Harry, inadvertently shattering Katie's peace. "They're awful to play in the best of weather – I don't envy Ravenclaw having to take them on in this."

Katie faltered for a moment. She'd become so obsessed with finding a cure for her potion she'd forgotten all about the match.

Now he was saying, "Cho will have a hard time finding this Snitch in this fog."

"So will Malfoy," pointed out Fred. Katie felt Angelina move to her side, and was thankful for her friend's presence.

"Yes, but you've seen the Slytherin Beaters in action. They always go for the Seeker, and there's no-one playing for Ravenclaw who can match them for size and weight." Harry shook his head, apparently thinking once again of Cho's difficult task tomorrow. 

"I'm sure she'll be fine," announced Angelina, taking Katie by the elbow and propelling her forcefully through the front doors of the castle. 

**

The morning of the match was marked by intermittent rain, leaving everyone feeling damp and chilled as they crowded into the stadium. Katie sat with her friends, everyone squeezing close together for warmth. 

"Here," offered Hermione, handing Katie a small jam jar of blue flame. "Don't let the teachers see it, but if you keep it under your robes you'll be a lot warmer."

"Thanks." Katie accepted the fire and shared it with Alicia. She glanced at Angelina, on Alicia's other side, but decided Fred was doing an admirable job ensuring heat between those two and returned her attention to the pitch.

The game got off to a quick start, with early goals by both sides. Then the drizzle turned into a steady rain, making play more difficult. Predictably, the Quaffle became slippery. Katie watched as first Ravenclaw, then Slytherin made a number of unforced errors, dropping the Quaffle or missing passes due to the wet weather. 

An hour into the game, the Snitch hadn't even put in an appearance. The Slytherin Beaters, however, had proved Harry right and took every opportunity to send Bludgers at Cho, even though she remained far removed from the main action. The rain was coming down harder and even from her position in the stands Katie could see Cho's blue Quidditch robes were plastered against her, making her appear smaller and more vulnerable, especially when Millicent Bulstrode drew near and smacked a Bludger straight at her. Cho seemed unperturbed and merely flattened herself against her broom, ducking the Bludger and shooting ahead.

It took everyone a moment to realise she hadn't just been ducking a Bludger but heading for the Snitch. A cry spread across the stands as the crowd took note of the glittering Snitch, winking and blinking against the fog and rain. 

Draco Malfoy noticed, too, and moved to intercept Cho. He might not be able to reach the Snitch before her, but he could cut her off. Cho saw him and pulled up slightly, just skimming over Malfoy's head. The crowd was on its feet, cheering her on. 

But Katie wasn't cheering. She'd kept her eye on Millicent and now screamed "Look out!" 

Beater and Seeker collided in a sickening crunch, with Millicent literally flattening Cho and knocking her aside, despite the shrill sound of Madam Hooch's whistle. Katie pressed her Omnioculars hard against her eyes, only to see Cho's arm hanging at an odd angle. Cho gripped her broom with only one hand and was trying to pull herself up, but the downward momentum was too great. Katie dropped her Omnioculars just as Cho plowed into the wet turf. 

Katie jumped to her feet and was ready to rush to Cho's side when she felt Alicia's hand clamp hard around her wrist. 

"Don't," she muttered warningly.

"But she's bound to be hurt!" protested Katie, trying unsuccessfully to see what was happening at the far end of the pitch, where Cho and her broom lay in a heap.

Next she felt another hand on her shoulder, and heard Angelina say in her ear, "Alicia's right. There's nothing you can do for her right now."

Several more moments of confusion passed. While Madam Hooch warned Millicent Bulstrode against further Blatching, Madam Pomfrey bent over Cho's crumpled form. 

Finally Lee Jordan announced to the crowd, "She's climbing back on her broom. Madam Pomfrey is saying something to her, and – oops – I'm afraid Professor McGonagall won't let me repeat their exact exchange but it appears the Ravenclaw Seeker is returning to play against the advice of Madam Pomfrey."

Katie snatched up her Omnioculars again to get a better view of Cho. Although her arm looked more normal, she was obviously still in tremendous pain, evidenced in her face. Katie also noticed she was still flying with only one hand.

The Snitch surfaced again soon enough. This time Draco spotted it first, and zoomed confidently towards the small gold object. Cho raced him determinedly. Katie could see it was taking all Cho's strength just to stay in the air. There was no way she could muster that last burst of speed she needed to overtake her rival. 

Draco's triumph at capturing the Snitch was marred by Cho's fainting from pain and dramatically falling off her broom as she neared the First Aid tent. The match concluded amidst boos from the crowd and general pandemonium as supporters from both sides stampeded onto the pitch. 

"I'm going to see her," announced both Harry and Katie at the same moment. They were sitting on either side of Hermione, who clapped her hands to her ears and gave them each a look. "What is this – stereophonic concern day?" she asked. "You'd both better stay where you are – it's turning into a brawl down there."

Looking over Hermione's head at each other, Harry and Katie nodded and bolted down the stands, Ron on their heels. Just as Hermione had predicted, the pitch was a madhouse. All the teachers were busy separating students, particularly those from Ravenclaw and Slytherin, but quite a few others had joined in as well. As Ron observed before pulling out his own wand, it didn't take much to start a fight with Slytherin. 

Katie pushed her way through the crowd but soon realised Cho must have been moved already to the Infirmary. Dodging elbows and hexes, she jogged back to the castle. But she couldn't even get past the Infirmary door. 

Madam Pomfrey opened it a crack, looking harassed in the extreme. "Injury?" she demanded.

"I just wanted to visit -"

"No visitors allowed!" announced the matron, sounding on the verge of hysteria. "It's enough trying to keep up with all my patients."

Dejected, Katie returned to Gryffindor tower and slumped next to Alicia on the couch. The teachers had finally cleared the pitch and all students were confined to their common rooms until dinner. George and Fred didn't seem to mind a bit, and bounced over to the girls in high spirits.

"Chocolate, Katie?" Fred offered, holding out a box.

She eyed the contents skeptically. "What've you done to them?"

"_Nothing_," Fred insisted, aggrieved. "Angelina told me about your continued broken heart, and in the spirit of friendship, George and I are offering you genuine Honeydukes chocolate from our own private reserve."

Katie turned from Fred to his twin, who nodded at her encouragingly. "Go on. They're fine, Weasley's honour."

With a resigned sigh, Katie took a chocolate and popped it into her mouth. Even turning into a giant canary seemed preferable to her current state of misery. For once the twins had told the truth, however, and Katie enjoyed the rich, dark chocolate. And in what they later claimed was a communication mix-up both of them placed cheering charms on her, with the result that Katie spent the hours until dinner laughing at just about anything anyone else said. It wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon, she reflected, as the charms finally began to wear off and dinnertime approached.

"I'm starving!" she said, trooping down the stairs and smiling at her friends.

Fred and George exchanged knowing looks. "A double cheering charm often has that effect on people," George said. "Why do you think we're always running down after hours to the kitchens?"

Katie rolled her eyes at them but smiled nonetheless, grateful for their attempts to keep her mind off the girl who lay in the Infirmary under Madam Pomfrey's watchful eye.

**

Cho hadn't broken anything, although she had dislocated her right arm in the first collision. This was easily healed, but her torn ligaments put her on the sidelines for at least a week. Even if Madam Pomfrey had been able to speed up the healing of muscle injuries, it seemed unlikely she'd do so in this case, especially after Cho had gone back into the game against all medical advice. Katie heard this news third-hand, of course, since Cho still was not speaking to her. When they passed in the castle Cho was polite, but that was all. Smiling at Cho was like smiling at Ginny Weasley: they'd both smile back politely, then continue on their own ways.

In some ways Cho's injury made things easier for Katie. She'd been avoiding Thursday Quidditch, not wanting to be so close to Cho after their last talk, but now there was no danger of having to play alongside her. Still, she'd have to face all the other girls, most of whom probably knew what had happened by now. And Laura would be there. Katie considered bringing along Alicia and Angelina, but then felt bad; she hadn't asked them earlier, out of selfish desire to be alone with Cho and to ask them now would also be selfish.

Feeling thoroughly sick of herself, Katie avoided her friends and after finishing her homework, wandered the corridors of the castle. For such a large place it never ceased to amaze her how the school could seem so full at the moments she most wanted to be alone.

She climbed the many stairs to the Astronomy Tower, expecting to find it empty. To her surprise, Professor Sinistra was there, apparently having just finished an astronomy lecture.

"Oh, hello," she greeted Katie. "I just let the first-years go early. Too cloudy to see much tonight."

Katie nodded but couldn't help staring at the teacher's enchanted gold telescope, still set up and pointing skyward.

"Would you like a peek?" Professor Sinistra indicated Katie should look through the telescope. As she did so, the teacher commented, "Very difficult tonight. Cassiopeia is hopelessly in the soup."

Katie had to agree and backed away from the glass. "Sorry to disturb you. I didn't know there'd be an observation here tonight."

"No trouble." Professor Sinistra busied herself closing the observatory shutters and putting away her telescope. Katie remained uncertainly near the stairs, feeling she ought to leave.

"Is there something on your mind tonight, Miss Bell?" asked the teacher kindly, looking over at Katie.

Part of Katie wished she could tell the whole story to the astronomy teacher. Professor Sinistra was known for her left-leaning politics and would most likely be sympathetic to Katie's crush. Still, Katie had made an illegal potion - telling Professor Sinistra would put her in an awkward position. And what if Sinistra consulted Snape? The mere thought of Professor Snape finding out what she'd done left Katie momentarily speechless.

"Not really," she finally said. "I just was looking for a little solitude tonight."

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to find it elsewhere. I've got to lock up the tower now." 

Katie edged down the steep, narrow staircase, followed by the professor. "Katie," Professor Sinistra said, "You weren't planning on meeting someone up there, were you?"

Katie paused and shook her head, alarmed. "No, Professor. I wanted to be by myself."

"Ah." Professor Sinistra smiled again, showing crinkly lines around her eyes. "The Tower has become a very popular trysting place of late, that's why we're keeping it locked now. Don't want anything to happen to the astronomy equipment."

"Right." 

"Of course, in my day everyone liked to use the rose bushes, or the shrubbery round the lake," continued Professor Sinistra, still smiling. "Though I suppose those spots don't work so well in this kind of weather."

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Katie paused, waiting to see which direction the teacher would go.

"Goodnight, Miss Bell." Professor Sinistra waved and turned down the west corridor, and Katie headed in the opposite direction.

Reflecting on the mention of the rose bushes, Katie decided that was one place where she would definitely be alone. Despite the cold, she pushed through the doors and walked out to the rose garden. In spring and summer the garden was beautiful, but tonight the bushes were barren, dark and thorny. Katie wandered aimlessly through the garden, wondering just where Cho had found Fleur and Roger last winter. She rounded a large piece of statuary and was surprised to hear what sounded like low murmuring coming from behind a decorative evergreen hedge. Peering over the hedge-top, Katie saw a small, hunched figure who appeared to be murmuring an incantation.

"Hermione?" she asked in amazement.

Hermione jerked around at Katie's voice. "What are you doing here?" she gasped.

"I might ask you the same thing." Katie quickly walked around the hedge and joined Hermione. "What's that?" Her eyes fell on a spellbook Hermione had open on the bench. 

"Nothing." Hermione hastily closed the book and sat on it. "Just some homework. It's much too noisy in the common room to get any really serious work done, you know."

"You were practising that reversal spell, weren't you?" Katie asked, as if Hermione hadn't said anything. "The one that was referenced in the Potions book."

"Why would you say a thing like that?" countered Hermione, but her flushed cheeks - visible even in the darkness - told Katie she was right.

"Look, I'm really sorry I yelled at you. I know you weren't putting me down for liking another girl - you were really cool about it when I first told you my situation in the library. And I appreciate what you've done to help me make things right with Cho, but you don't have to do all this."

"I know I don't," snapped Hermione, her flush increasing. "Maybe I just want to."

"But why?" Katie looked down at her in confusion. 

Stuffing the spellbook into her bag, Hermione jumped up and began walking back to the castle. She seemed to be muttering to herself; the only word Katie caught sounded like "thick." Speaking more clearly, Hermione said, "I just don't like seeing you - or Cho - unhappy like this. And I feel partly responsible. If only I had talked to you more, maybe you wouldn't have gone ahead with the potion."

They had reached the side doors and Katie pulled on the enormous iron handle. "None of this is your fault, Hermione. I'm sure I would have done it anyway, but thanks for your concern."

"It's nothing."

"So, do you think that spell will work?"

Hermione hitched her book bag higher up on her shoulders. "I think so. But you'll have to get Cho to agree to let me perform it on her. Think she will?"

"I don't know. Maybe you could teach me to do it?" Katie asked hopefully. It only seemed fitting that she extract Cho from the mess she'd landed her in.

Hermione looked awkward. "I suppose…but it might take a long time and since I already know how to do it maybe it's best if you let me," she explained in a rush.

"What if you just performed it on me? I'm the one who took the potion."

"That's exactly why I don't want to risk it. It's hard to predict how the spell might interact with powers of the potion within you. I think it will be more effective to concentrate on making Cho immune to the repellent," Hermione explained.

"Okay. I'll see if I can talk to her."

The girls walked up to the tower in silence, each lost in her own thoughts. When they reached the fat lady, who was dozing in her portrait, Katie paused and touched Hermione's shoulder.

"Look, I know we've never been best friends, but I really do appreciate all the effort you're putting in to helping me. If there's anything I can do -"

"Forget about it," interrupted Hermione. "Let's just hope it works." She gave Katie a slight smile, then turned to the fat lady and said loudly, "Phosphorescence!"

"That password's been giving poor Neville fits all week," Hermione said over her shoulder as they crawled inside.

Katie smiled and dashed upstairs to compose a note to Cho, asking her to meet them the following evening. Blowing on the ink to make it dry, Katie rolled up the scroll with trembling fingers. She had just enough time to run to the owlery to post the letter before lights-out. _What if Hermione's spell doesn't work_, she wondered uneasily, then shoved the thought aside. It had to work - it just had to. 

****

Well chickadees, I hope you liked it. Just a friendly authorial note here informing you the next chapter may take a little longer than usual, as I am once again going to the land that brought the world Big Macs, _Baywatch_ and other guilty pleasures. I know, I know, I haven't even been a model of speed in getting out the chapters without the burdens of travel, but humbly beg your patience and indulgence while I fly away and get caught up on my _Buffy_ viewing. In the meantime, your suggestions and comments are always appreciated.


	5. 

Love in Excess 5: The Very Witching Time of Night

Love in Excess 5: The Very Witching Time of Night

"How well do you know her, really?" Hermione asked Katie. They sat to the right of the common room fire, having pulled two chairs close together, shutting out anyone else but still allowing the warmth of the fire to reach them. All of the younger students had already gone up to bed, thinning out the crowded room somewhat.

Katie paused and considered. When Hermione put it to her like that, she had to admit she didn't know that much about Cho. "Well, we like the same Quidditch team."

"I meant what do you know about _her_, more personal stuff." 

"Why? You need to know something about her to make the spell work?" Katie frowned at Hermione, worried about what would happen tonight. Cho had reluctantly agreed to meet them, and Katie was anxious everything go well.

"No, it's not that." Hermione looked towards the fire. Her voice low, she said, "If she was your girlfriend, why wouldn't you have realised her passion for you was probably the strongest?"

"She wasn't my girlfriend, exactly."

Now Hermione turned her attention from the flames back to Katie. "Really? Then what was she?"

Katie couldn't help blushing at Hermione's question, especially when she thought of what had passed between herself and Cho. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "All I wanted to do was prove to her there was no one else."

"Well, no one can accuse you of doing things by half," observed Hermione with some amusement. Glancing at her watch, she stood up and Katie did the same. "Let's go."

The two girls walked quietly through the corridors of Hogwarts. Hermione had her bookbag slung over one shoulder, containing the spellbook she'd been studying. She had learned the spell off by heart, but it felt reassuring to have the book with her just in case.

The girls stopped outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, where they had agreed to meet. Hermione had suggested it, knowing from past experience nobody ever went in there.

Cho hurried up to them, looking agitated. "We have to go in here?" she asked, addressing herself to Hermione rather than Katie. "I thought this one was haunted by that whining ghost -"

"Shh!" Hermione stepped forwards. "Don't let her hear you say that or we won't be able to use the space. At least nobody will interrupt us here - we need complete privacy for this spell."

"Sorry." Cho turned worried eyes to the door, obviously not eager to step inside. Katie couldn't blame her. Nearly every girl at Hogwarts knew about Moaning Myrtle, a knowledge usually gained in the first or second year through an unfortunate encounter in the toilet. 

Sighing impatiently, Hermione pushed ahead and held the door open for the others. The room was silent, save for the constant drip of water and an occasional sniffle. 

"Myrtle?" asked Hermione tentatively. "We've come to pay you a visit."

Myrtle glided from the U-bend to where they were standing. "Three of you? And all girls?" She peered at Hermione through her thick, ghostly spectacles. "Where are those boys you usually bring here?"

Cho turned to Hermione, her eyes amused and intrigued. "Something you haven't been sharing with us?"

Hermione made an impatient motion. "She means Ron and Harry. Never mind." Turning once again to Myrtle she said, "We just need to use your, er, room for a little bit."

"What for?" Myrtle floated closer to Cho and Katie, bobbing around them curiously. 

"To reverse an accidental romance repellant for these two." Hermione gestured to the two girls.

"These two?" Myrtle looked puzzled. "Where are the boys?"

"There aren't any."

"No boys…" Myrtle turned a final confused look at them all and glided back to her toilet to ponder this turn of events.

"Right then." Hermione focused once more on Cho, who was still staring after Myrtle's ghostly form. "Did Katie explain what I'm going to try and do?"

Cho nodded. "Do I have to do anything?"

"No. Just stand there." Hermione removed her book, opened it to the proper page and scanned the lines once more. She then raised her wand dramatically and began uttering the most complicated incantation Katie had ever heard. Most spells were just one or two words, but this was entire phrases. Vowing to pay more attention in Gobbledegook class, Katie watched in amazement as Hermione continued chanting the spell.

Both Cho and Katie appeared anxious throughout the whole process, not sure what to expect. When Hermione completed the spell, a haze of mist emerged from her wand and enveloped Cho. The mist shimmered around her for several moments, then formed into a funnel cloud and whirled away in a dramatic finish. 

None of the girls moved for a moment. Katie held her breath, wanting very much to move towards Cho but afraid to touch her lest she disturb some unknown aspect of the spell. 

Cho was the first to act. She looked around, moved her arms experimentally, then took a step over to where Hermione and Katie stood. 

"Do you feel different?" asked Hermione; Katie remained speechless with worry.

A strange sort of smile crossed Cho's face. "Yeah. I do. Congratulations, Hermione. I think you counteracted the potion. Too bad Flitwick couldn't have witnessed it - that kind of charm work would have won you some points for Gryffindor."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Katie finally spoke, gasping with relief and lurching towards Cho.

"I'm fine." 

Hermione had been watching both Katie and Cho, and now grabbed her spellbook and tucked away her wand. "I'll leave you two alone, then," she said, already edging towards the door. "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."

"I can't believe it." Katie smiled at Cho and felt her eyes fill with tears. "I'm so sorry," she gasped. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm so glad you're okay." She moved forwards and put her arms around Cho.

Cho returned the hug stiffly.

Puzzled, Katie pulled back. "What's wrong? Do you need to sit down?"

"No." Cho had appeared a little dazed immediately after the spell but now looked more determined, more herself. "All my emotions are coming back to me," she explained.

"They are?" Katie felt her voice going squeaky with relief.

"Yeah. Let me show you." A languid smile crossed Cho's face, and she moved closer, until she was only inches away. Cho pinned Katie against the wall and began kissing her with an unaccustomed ferocity. Katie responded, but couldn't help feeling confused. Was this some side-effect of the spell? Cho had never kissed her like this, so hard it almost hurt. Previously, Katie had been astonished at the exquisite gentleness and skill of Cho's kisses. Now she was astonished at her fierceness, the way she pressed her mouth so aggressively against Katie's.

"Are you sure you're alright?' she finally asked, taking Cho's hands and holding her back a bit.

"Isn't this what you want from me?" demanded Cho. 

"What do you mean? Cho, why are you acting so strange?"

"I'm acting strange now? That's rich, Katie." Cho laughed bitterly. "You're the one who made that stupid repellant to begin with. Do you have any idea what's it's like being under the effect of a potion, having your will altered like that?"

Katie said nothing, could only stare at Cho.

"Didn't think so. It's kind of like what I was just trying to show you. Nothing feels right and it's almost scary, because everything is familiar yet all wrong. Well, the potion's effects are definitely off now, I can feel things towards you again - and I don't think I've ever felt so angry," Cho said. She glared at Katie, then dashed for the door. 

Katie stared after her, aghast. Moaning Myrtle reappeared, looking pleased. 

"Oooh, that was quite a scene," she said, her approval evident from the delighted expression on her face. "So that's what women do together, is it?"

"No, it's not," Katie replied distractedly, eyes still on the door. She leaned against a sink, trying unsuccessfully to fight back tears. Resting her face in her hands, Katie broke down into muffled sobs.

"And she even made you cry!" Myrtle noted with glee. She zipped around the ceiling and bobbed back down by Katie. "This is much more exciting than the time that bushy-haired girl turned herself into a cat."

Katie stopped crying and stared at Myrtle, wondering what on earth she was talking about. "I've got to go," she said, and ran after Cho.

"Feel free to visit again!" sang out Myrtle, taking one more quick zip around the room in an unusual burst of high spirits.

**

Cho was nowhere to be seen, and Katie knew she had no chance of finding her again that evening. It was almost time for lights-out, anyway. 

The common room was nearly empty when Katie arrived, but Hermione was waiting up for her. 

"Where are Angelina and Alicia?" asked Katie.

"Fred and George convinced them to sneak down to the kitchens for a midnight snack," Hermione informed her. Looking more closely, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Katie shook her head and took a seat next to Hermione on the sofa. "Your spell worked. Only now Cho hates me."

Hermione looked alarmed. "Hates you? That's not supposed to be one of the effects," she said, reaching for her books.

"It's not the spell." Katie caught at Hermione's hand and pulled the bag out of her reach. "It's me. Now she can feel emotions towards me again, and she's furious."

"But you didn't _mean_ to have the potion affect her."

"We didn't get that far in our conversation," Katie said. "It makes sense, I suppose. For weeks she's been living under the effects of that repellant. She couldn't exercise any of her own will where I was concerned, and now that it's off, all that frustration is coming back and she's angry."

"I should think she'd be relieved," Hermione said stoutly. When Katie stared at her, incredulous, she added hastily, "I still think it was a dangerous thing for you to do, but at least taking the risk showed how much you cared for her – doesn't she see it that way at all?" 

"Maybe you should try explaining it to her," Katie suggested glumly. "She's sure not listening to me."

The two girls sat facing the fire, which had burned down to low embers. Looking at the coals, Hermione asked, "But you're still in love with her?"

"I don't know," sighed Katie, slouching down further against the lumpy sofa. "I thought she was the perfect girl for me, but as you pointed out, I don't really know her that well."

"I never said that," Hermione countered quickly, turning her brown eyes on Katie.

"Well, your questions made me realise it. I probably know more about you than I do about her."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, too," said Hermione. She stood up and looked towards the staircase. "We'd better get upstairs. It's late."

"You go on. I want to wait for Alicia and Angelina."

A few minutes later the portrait hole swung open and the foursome tumbled in. 

"Careful! You're going to squash the cakes!" George cautioned his twin.

"I've got them," assured Fred, then broke into a grin as he saw Katie sitting alone. "Look what we've brought back - want some?"

Katie tried to look more cheerful. A moment ago she'd wanted nothing more than to talk with Alicia and Angelina, but seeing them now with the Weasleys, she didn't feel like being the killjoy of the group. "Sure."

They settled at one of the empty tables and munched on the array of food. Alicia leaned closer to Katie and whispered, "Did it work?"

Katie nodded and swallowed a last bite of cake. "Yes. Hermione's really incredible."

"What's this?" Fred perked up.

"Hermione was able to counteract the effects of the Indifference potion on Cho," Katie explained, surprised at how casual she could sound when inside she was still churning with anxiety. "She's really good with spells."

"Excellent." Fred held out another piece of cake to Katie, who shook her head. Shrugging, he popped it into his own mouth. "See? I knew there had to be a solution," he added after swallowing. 

Alicia and Angelina had both been casting concerned looks her way, and now Alicia announced, "We'd all better get upstairs. And George, can you two clean up these crumbs?"

"No problem." George whipped out his wand and began tidying the table, while the three girls went upstairs.

"Is everything alright?" demanded Alicia once they were in their room. 

Katie sighed heavily. "Not exactly." She quickly explained Cho's new attitude, but when her friends pressed for more detail and discussion, Katie insisted she didn't want to talk about it. "I'm too tired. I appreciate the concern, but I just can't think about it anymore tonight."

"Well you'd better think about it," said Angelina bracingly, walking over to her chest of drawers and pulling out her pyjamas. "This is what comes of trying to solve things with potions instead of being honest with the person."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Katie.

Angelina pulled on her pyjamas and replied in a more kindly tone, "I just mean, next time try talking to people instead of trying to cook up some potions shortcut. You didn't come to either of us, you didn't even warn Cho."

Despite Angelina's reasonable tone, Katie remained defensive. "So now you're taking her side? Thanks a lot, Angelina."

"I'm not taking her side." Angelina sat down next to Katie and patted her on the shoulder. "But don't you see? You shut us out when you first got into this mess, and now we're trying to help you and you say you don't want to talk about it. Don't you trust us?"

Katie bit her lip and glanced from Angelina at her side to Alicia, seated on her own bed. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, she decided. She just wasn't convinced they could really understand. Despite - or perhaps because of - Alicia's increasing interest in George, Katie still felt awkward bringing up anything that might make her think back to their own short-lived relationship. And even though Angelina meant well, Katie wondered if she really could understand what it was like to be with another girl, instead of a boy. All the things Angelina took for granted - holding hands with Fred, dancing with him at last year's Yule Ball - Katie felt she'd have to do furtively with any girl she ever dated. 

She knew she couldn't tell her friends any of these thoughts. Not only would it hurt their feelings, it might make them outright angry - and what Katie wanted more than anything right now was her friends' support. 

"Of course I trust you," she said. "You're my best friends."

**

Katie returned to looking out for Cho between lessons, and noticed the other girl was taking care to avoid her. She was always one of the last to Herbology, making it impossible for Katie to talk to her then, and whenever Katie saw in her in the castle, a flock of Ravenclaw friends surrounded her.

Katie finally caught her leaving the Great Hall alone after dinner one evening. "Cho, don't you think we need to talk?" she asked, standing in front of her, blocking her way.

"About what?" Cho gave her a challenging stare, and even though Katie knew she was angry with her, something about the way Cho looked - so alluring and yet so remote - left Katie feeling she didn't know whether to kiss her or hit her with a hex.

"I just don't understand!" burst out Katie. "How could you feel so much for me before and now - now it's like you hate me," she concluded, voice low.

Cho's expression became more troubled. "I don't hate you," she admitted. "But whenever I see you, or even think of you, I remember how it felt to be affected by that potion. How could you do that to me, Katie?" she demanded, eyes flashing with anger and pain. 

"I _never_ intended for you to be affected, Cho," assured Katie, taking a step closer. 

"But it was so stupid! So dangerous!" Cho's face crumpled and Katie could see her trying not to cry. "Didn't you stop to think of all the ways it could go wrong?"

Although pained by seeing Cho so upset, Katie also began to feel angry. "The only reason I even thought of doing such a thing was because you were acting so jealous about Laura!" she shouted back. "I told you there was nothing going on, you know what she's like - but no, you said you needed proof. That's all I was trying to do, prove to you how much I -"

"How much you what - _liked_ me?" interrupted Cho. She rubbed at the corners of her eyes, then pushed back her hair impatiently. "That's a weird way of showing it, Katie."

"Hermione didn't think so. When I finally told her what happened and she offered to help, she said she thought you would be pleased I'd take a risk like that for your sake."

"Oh, Hermione thinks so, does she?" Cho placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You certainly didn't waste any time getting cosy with her!"

Katie stared at Cho in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm sure the whole thing was just some big magical experiment for her. The last girl you need to be jealous of is Hermione Granger."

At that moment Katie saw a familiar group of Gryffindors appear, attracted by the noise, no doubt. Ron and Harry, along with Hermione, had just walked into the empty Entrance Hall and seeing the look on Hermione's face, Katie wondered how much she'd heard. Right on their heels came Fred, George, Angelina and Alicia, who looked from Katie to Cho and paused.

Cho turned and glanced at them all before addressing herself quietly to Katie. "If you'd really cared about me, Katie, you would never have taken a risk making something like that Indifference potion. You had to have some idea it _might_ have affected me." She spoke in an undertone, but Katie caught every word.

"I never thought it would. Please, you've got to believe me," Katie pleaded, her anger receding as she watched Cho. 

"I don't know what to believe right now," Cho said. Her anger faded and was replaced by a look of confusion and worry. Glancing again at the other Gryffindors, she dashed away.

Katie turned her attention to her friends and first caught Hermione's eye, who promptly looked away. "Come on," she said to Ron and Harry, pulling them towards the Tower.

The four others stepped forward. 

"I thought you said Hermione reversed the potion?" asked George in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly feeling the love here," agreed Fred, glancing around the Entrance Hall, then back at Katie. "What's going on?"

Clenching her jaw, Katie shook her head at the boys, pushed past them and grabbed her two best friends. Wordlessly, they put their arms across her back and the three of them retreated to their dormitory.

**

Katie didn't feel like facing anyone after her encounter with Cho earlier than evening, preferring to brood alone in her room, but knew she needed to say something to Hermione.

Although it was late Hermione was still working, Harry and Ron alongside her. Katie felt a little awkward approaching them; normally she didn't hang out with the fifth-years that much. 

"Transfiguration essay due tomorrow?" she guessed, glancing down at Harry's parchment. 

"Yup," he said, scribbling in a smaller script as he reached the bottom of his scroll. "And mine's done." He looked over at Ron, who scowled.

"I've got four inches left," he estimated. "Can I see your conclusion?"

Harry glanced over at Hermione, and they all expected to hear her object to such possible plagiarism. Instead she kept writing, ignoring them all. With a shrug, Harry gathered his things and he and Ron went upstairs, leaving Katie alone with Hermione.

"I think you might have walked in at the wrong moment tonight and misunderstood what was being said," she whispered.

"Oh, the part about how I'm the last girl anyone should be jealous of?" responded Hermione, still writing. 

"Hermione, don't." Katie touched her elbow and Hermione stopped writing. "Don't be like that. That's not what I meant." She frowned and added, "That's not even what I said, exactly."

"It's really okay," said Hermione, rolling her eyes impatiently at Katie. "We don't have to talk about it."

"I just meant there wasn't anything going on between you and me. Cho is so jealous," sighed Katie. "I don't get it. You were the one who _helped_ her. I don't understand why she thinks you would be any kind of threat." 

Hermione swallowed quickly and picked up her quill. "I need to finish my essay."

"You're still mad at me, huh?" Katie rested her head on one hand, leaning against the table, watching Hermione write. She continued writing until the scroll was filled, then stopped and addressed Katie. 

"I'm not mad at you," Hermione explained, her voice slightly strained.

"I appreciate what you did for Cho so much," Katie said earnestly. "It's not your fault she's angry with me now. I'm sorry if you misunderstood what I was saying to her."

"I told you - _I understand_." Hermione gathered up her parchment, books and quills and stood to go. "Sounds like you have a lot to work out with her."

"I suppose I do. Good night." Katie watched Hermione walk away. She'd always thought of her as a precocious, slightly awkward-looking girl but now realised with a start Hermione had changed. She seemed to be managing her hair better, and it was clear - even beneath the loose Hogwarts robes - that Hermione's hairstyle was not the only thing about her to have changed. The robes hung on her differently, and she moved beneath them differently. Katie began to feel a bit annoyed at Cho, realising she must have noticed Hermione's new attributes, and assumed Katie had as well. _And she accuses _me_ of noticing other girls too much_, Katie thought to herself.

**

Katie didn't have much time to ponder either Hermione or Cho as the term drew quickly to a close in a flurry of exams and papers. She'd wanted to stay at school, but her mother insisted she come home on the grounds that this was the last year Katie would be living at home. "Who knows where you'll be next year?" demanded Mrs Bell, and Katie relented, although she did manage to wangle a few extra days at school. 

But Cho had left on the first possible train out of Hogsmeade, Katie learned, eliminating any chance of their talking now classes were over. And Hermione, although friendly enough, remained a bit distant, spending most of her time with Harry, Ron and Ginny. Katie didn't push it, figuring Hermione was still upset over the comments she'd overheard Katie making to Cho about her. It was funny, though; only now did Katie realise how much she'd enjoyed hanging out with Hermione. She could be quite funny when she chose, and she was so different from either Angelina or Alicia, a different kind of friend.

Katie did venture out to a girls' Quidditch game, this time bringing along Angelina and Alicia. The usual group, already small, was even smaller due to the holidays.

Susan Bones was as friendly as she had been the first time Katie had joined them, welcoming Katie's friends and drawing Katie aside to say, "Don't worry, Laura's gone home. But even if she were here, I don't think you'd have to worry. Guess who she's with now?"

"No idea."

"Millicent Bulstrode," Susan reported. Satisfied with the shock this news produced in Katie she added, "I know, I couldn't believe it either. We'll see how long that lasts." 

The two girls left the broomshed and began walking to the pitch. With a twinkle in her eye, Susan called out over her shoulder, "You'd better watch out, Katie. Keep breaking hearts like you do and pretty soon you'll get a reputation."

Katie smiled weakly and tried to laugh, wondering if Susan knew what had happened with Cho. But the other girl didn't seem malicious in her teasing, and Katie reminded herself Susan wasn't trying to make her feel bad. Still, she had succeeded in doing just that, and the Quidditch game felt flat and unexciting to Katie, and she didn't regret it when they left the chilly Quidditch pitch and returned to the warmth of the castle.

Even hanging out with Alicia and Angelina wasn't quite as much fun as Katie had anticipated, as both of them spent increasing amounts of time with Fred and George. The boys were her friends, too, and last year Katie wouldn't have thought twice about the five of them doing things together. But now everything was different, and she felt the odd one out when she was around that foursome too long.

They did have a good time enjoying the Great Hall and seeing it decorated for Christmas. But soon Katie found herself with Alicia on the train, heading home. There weren't many passengers, nearly all the students having left earlier. Katie and Alicia had no trouble finding a compartment to themselves, but each remained uncharacteristically silent for much of the journey, lost in her own thoughts.

Both girls lived near the Skipton station, one of the first stops the train made in its meandering journey southward. Katie saw their parents waiting for them on the platform, waving. Comforted by the fact that she'd have Alicia with her, as the two families traditionally spent Christmas day together, Katie waved back and clambered down the stairs to her waiting family.

Allardyce Spinnet, Alicia's older brother, reached them first and put an arm around each girl. "No Yule Balls to attend this year?" he asked with a smile. "I'm sure all the boys are after you two."

Alicia answered before Katie could say anything. "They didn't have the dance this year. I think the school is trying to forget everything associated with the Triwizard Tournament."

Katie's own mother hugged her next, engulfing Katie in a haze of perfume. Holding Katie back from her, Mrs Bell inspected her daughter and fretted, "Honestly, Katie, every time I see you you've cut your hair shorter." Her fingers brushed nervously at Katie's hair, which she'd just had buzzed before coming home. "This isn't a very feminine look."

Sighing, Katie picked up her bags and said, "That's kind of the idea, Mum."

"Now, leave her alone," instructed Katie' father, giving his daughter a rib-crunching hug that, while leaving Katie gasping, did feel more genuine than her mother's. "She looks terrific. Healthy, and just look at the colour in those cheeks. Had a good Quidditch season so far?"

Katie gave him a complete assessment of the team as they made their way out of the station. 

"That's my girl," beamed Mr Bell on hearing of Gryffindor's season thus far. "It's good to have you home, Katie."

Glancing over at the Spinnet family, Katie caught Alicia's attention. The other girl rolled her eyes first at her brother, who was droning on about his work with Percy Weasley on Cauldron bottoms, and then at her parents who were listening to him with rapt attention, before shrugging and smiling at Katie. 

In that smile, Katie saw a flash of Alicia as she'd always known her - her best friend since before they'd even started at Hogwarts - and thought back to Angelina's question: "Don't you trust us?" Katie felt a stab of guilt as she admitted to herself she hadn't really given Alicia much chance, had assumed she wouldn't be interested in talking about Katie's current problems. Alicia had said she wasn't jealous any more, and certainly she had been nothing but supportive these past few weeks. Katie returned her friend's smile and decided maybe Christmas would be okay after all.

****

Thanks to my beta, Wotan. A little homage here also to Asterix, mistress of hpfemmeslash discussions. And thanks to everyone who's been reading, for your patience and indulgence. 

Stay tuned to see what sort of New Year's resolutions the girls make. Will Cho relent? Should she? And find out just how Hermione butters her bread these days.

Points to those who identify the Shakespeare play the subtitle comes from. Go on, take a guess… 


	6. Reprieve

Love in Excess 6

A/N: Oops - I forgot to put a slash warning in the last chapter, but seeing as it's just you die-hard f/f loyalists reading, perhaps it can be dispensed with. Anyway, here's some uplift for Bookcat …

Love in Excess 6: Reprieve

For Katie, thinking about Cho had become like touching the tongue to a burn on the roof of the mouth to see if it still remained sore: she did it compulsively and regretted it each time. Recalling the look on Cho's face during their last encounter in the Entrance Hall never failed to make Katie cringe, all the more so because she had no one to blame but herself for making Cho lose trust in her. 

But much to Katie's surprise, being away from Hogwarts actually made her think less about Cho. Away from all the surroundings that reminded her constantly of their past moments together, Katie gradually stopped thinking about her so much. And eventually, the niggling pain that always accompanied her thoughts of Cho went away, too. This change was due at least in part to Alicia, who patiently drew out of Katie the misery and the confusion she'd been trying to sort through on her own.

"So tell me again exactly what Hermione said?" Alicia asked. They were lying on the floor in her bedroom, where Katie was spending New Year's Eve. 

"I don't know. It was a really complicated spell."

"Hmm." Alicia nibbled at a Jelly Slug. "Do you think she did something to make Cho _dis_like you?"

Katie rolled from her back to her stomach and looked at Alicia. "Why would she do that?"

"She's jealous and wants you." Alicia raised her eyebrows impatiently.

"Oh, come on. Hermione doesn't have any interest in girls. She doesn't even have any close girl friends," argued Katie.

"She hangs out with Ginny," Alicia countered. When Katie continued to stare, Alicia shrugged and said, "Just an idea."

"No way. I mean, she doesn't even like Quidditch - what could we possibly have in common? There's no way she's gay."

Alicia rummaged through the box of sweets. "You really think Laura likes Quidditch?"

"Well, maybe not. But she does like girls who play it. Hermione can't be bothered with things like that."

"She has a cat. She has been known to wear flannel shirts," Alicia persisted.

"Stereotypes," retorted Katie, but couldn't keep back a laugh as Alicia continued to make her case with increasingly ridiculous examples. "Alright, alright, stop. Even if she were - and I don't think she is, mind you - there's no way Hermione Granger would deliberately sabotage a spell. She has too much integrity."

"Integrity. Is that what you're calling is now?"

"You've been spending too much time with George Weasley. How is he, by the way?" asked Katie, turning the tables on her friend. 

Alicia's smiling face faltered. "He's fine," she replied cautiously.

"Fine." Now Katie assumed the teasing expression, saying, "I suppose it is hard to find anyone who can compare after dating _me_." She glanced over, saw Alicia still wasn't certain she was joking and added, "Seriously, you like him?"

Alicia relaxed, but still blushed as she said, "It's nothing serious. He's just fun to hang out with. I mean, it's not like how things are between Angelina and Fred. They're both staying at school over the holidays, you know."

"Can't stand to be apart?" Katie raised one eyebrow.

"Something like that." Alicia smiled and held out the last piece of candy. "Licorice whip?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Katie chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes, then Summoned a piece of parchment and a quill.

"What are you doing?"

"New Year's Resolutions," replied Katie, scribbling away. "This year I will not use potions to solve my problems."

"And will ask my friends' advice before doing anything stupid," Alicia suggested helpfully.

"And will not fall in love anymore."

Alicia laughed. "You should at least try to write down resolutions you have some chance of keeping. No sense setting yourself up for failure. I mean, what about Hermione?"

"Haven't you listened to a word I've said?" Katie tossed down her quill. "Forget it."

"I've been listening to you," Alicia replied mildly. "I heard everything you've said," she added with a smile, then ducked as Katie tossed the quill at her.

**

Katie and Alicia caught an early train back to school. Both were eager to return to Hogwarts and escape their parents, and even though Katie still felt a certain amount of dread when she thought about seeing Cho again, she would rather risk it than spend any more time under her mother's thumb. Besides, she was looking forward to seeing Hermione again. Not that she put any faith in Alicia's suggestions, she reminded herself hastily. She simply wanted to make sure Hermione no longer thought she'd been putting her down during that last chat with Cho.

A number of other students had already returned, or had stayed on over the holidays, so when Alicia and Katie entered the common room it was almost half full. Katie scanned the room and saw four Weasley heads in a circle by the fire, along with Harry, Hermione and Angelina. Without bothering to remove their cloaks, Katie and Alicia joined them.

"You're back," acknowledged George on seeing Alicia, grinned at her, then bent over his cards with a look of great concentration. 

Scowling in mock annoyance, Alicia punched him on the arm and said, "Yes, I'm back. Now shove up and deal me in."

Hermione jumped up. "You can have my chair," she offered, oblivious to the fact that adequate seating space was not among Alicia's concerns. 

"Tired of losing?" teased Ron, starting another round of Exploding Snap. "Katie, you in?"

"Um, no thanks. I've got to drop my stuff upstairs." Katie turned away, feeling strangely left out as her two friends settled next to their boyfriends. She and Alicia had spent so much time together over the past weeks, it had seemed just like old times. But now that they were back at school, Katie realised Alicia's attention had a number of demands these days.

The House Elves had brought her luggage upstairs. Katie sent everything to its proper place with well-directed Banishing Charms, then leaned back against the pillows of her bed. Susan Bones' words still came back to her: _Better be careful or you're going to get a reputation_. She knew Susan was just being friendly, but now Katie wondered if she really did have bad luck.

"Hi, Katie." Hermione had ventured into the room and was looking at her expectantly.

"Come on in." Katie gestured for her to come all the way inside, wondering what the younger girl could want. "Did you stay here for the holidays?" she asked as Hermione sat down on the bed.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. You came back early?"

"Had to get out of the house."

There was a silence. Katie didn't know what to say, and got the feeling Hermione had something on her mind. 

"About last term -"

Katie hastily interrupted, eager to put things to rights. "Don't worry about it. It's nobody's fault but mine, what happened with Cho. New Year's resolution: no more potions or love spells. From now on, I'll just have to deal with things more straightforwardly."

"Sounds like my resolution."

"But you didn't make any illegal potions," said Katie, regarding Hermione with increasing puzzlement.

"Not that…just the straightforward part." Hermione's voice was quiet and she had none of her usual confidence. She wasn't even looking at Katie any more.

"Is something wrong?" Katie kept her eyes on her until Hermione met her gaze.

"No," Hermione sighed, twisting her hands in her lap. "I just promised myself I'd do something but now I don't know if I can do it," she concluded, eyes still on Katie.

"You're starting to worry me," Katie joked. "This isn't like you."

"I suppose that's what everyone would think," said Hermione and started to move away. Katie reached out and closed her fingers around Hermione's thin wrist. 

"Look, I owe you for everything you did for me. If you want to talk -"

Hermione glanced down at Katie's hand on her wrist, then back into Katie's face. Her brown eyes were open wide, Katie noticed, and her lashes seemed to blink more than usual. "I don't want you to do anything because you _owe_ me." Hermione spoke in a whisper but her voice was steady, and when Katie looked into her eyes, what she saw there made her jump. 

Katie stared, wondering if she could possibly be misreading her expression. But by now, she had seen enough girls look at her like that to know what Hermione meant. 

The sudden pounding of her heart against her chest reminded Katie of the first time she had wanted to kiss Alicia, how terrified she had been. With Cho it had never felt like that, possibly because with Cho things were always all action, no time for thought. But now, unable to tear her gaze away from Hermione's steady brown eyes, Katie felt nervous. 

Desire overcame anxiety, however, and the distance between herself and Hermione disappeared; even a Proximity charm couldn't have brought them closer. Reaching a hand behind Hermione's head, Katie leaned over and kissed her. When Hermione responded Katie's fear subsided a bit, but her heart kept beating just as fast. 

And beneath her touch, beneath the kisses, she felt Hermione shaking, trembling harder than she herself had the moment before they kissed. "What's wrong?" she whispered, drawing away a fraction and smoothing Hermione's hair. 

Hermione's eyes blinked open. "Nothing," she whispered back, then closed her eyes again and rested her forehead against Katie's chest, and Katie realised she was shaking, too. _What was going on_, she wondered fleetingly, as they collapsed onto her bed together. Nobody – not even Cho – had ever had this kind of effect on her. And she'd thought the physical connection with Cho had been the strongest thing they'd had going for them. But this – Katie was certain even the strongest love potion couldn't make someone feel desire this intensely. 

Katie undid Hermione's school robes with expert fingers and flung them off. Sitting up, Hermione did the same, her mouth never leaving Katie's. Katie returned her kisses, running her hands across Hermione's shoulders before undoing the buttons on her blouse. Midway through this task she had the presence of mind to grab her wand and place a locking charm on the door – her room-mates would be able to break it, but at least it would slow them down a bit. Then she drew the hangings around her bed and pushed Hermione back down. 

Hermione smiled up at her, then reached for Katie, running her fingers along the curve of Katie's waist, making her shiver. Katie allowed herself to be pulled onto Hermione, her left knee falling against Hermione's bare legs, her lips brushing Hermione's soft cheek. Turning her head slightly, she felt Hermione's breath hot against her ear. "Touch me here," Hermione whispered, taking Katie's hand and guiding it towards the soft swell of her breast.

Katie complied, felt Hermione sigh and wriggle beneath her touch, and was marvelling at Hermione's boldness when she heard the door burst open. "What's the big idea, locking us out like that?" Angelina groused

Both Katie and Hermione sat bolt upright. Katie pulled Hermione's robes out from under her and draped them around the girl, then hastily struggled into her own shirt. 

"Katie?" Now Alicia was talking. "Are you awake?"

Their footsteps neared the bed, and Katie poked her head through a gap in the curtains, holding the edges firmly against her. "Um, just having a nap."

"Why'd you have to lock the door?" Angelina appeared, looking disgruntled. "And where have you been all evening?"

"I was just tired, that's all. Came up here for some peace and quiet."

"Will you stop with the curtains?" demanded Angelina. "I feel like I'm talking to a hand puppet when you do that." She stepped forward and yanked back the hangings. Katie closed her eyes and cringed inwardly.

Thankfully Hermione had located her wand and used it to dress herself quickly. Even fully dressed, however, there was no hiding the hectic flush still in her cheeks, or the way her breath was still coming in quick bursts, like she'd just run all the way up the stairs.

"_Hermione_?" Both Angelina and Alicia chorused in disbelief. They looked first at Hermione, then at Katie. 

Katie twisted around and saw Hermione blushing scarlet. Next thing any of them knew, Hermione had jumped up and run for the door, her footsteps echoing off the stone walls as she clattered down the stairs.

"Wait!" Katie leapt off the bed and darted to the door, but knew Hermione was long gone already. She turned and walked slowly back to her friends. "I'd better go find her," she muttered.

"Unbelievable," said Angelina, looking both shocked and impressed. Alicia appeared to be fighting back a smile and gave Katie an I-told-you-so look.

"Listen, you two – not one word of this to anyone, understood? Not even Fred and George. _Especially_ not Fred and George," she added, shuddering. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to find Hermione."

Katie swept past her two friends and ran downstairs, pausing to knock at the fifth-year girls' dormitory. Lavender Brown opened the door. "Yes?"

"Is Hermione here?" Katie asked, trying to peer past Lavender.

"No." Lavender examined her curiously. "I haven't seen her all night."

"Thanks." Katie nodded at Lavender and quickly turned away, continuing down the stairs. A glance at the common room confirmed she wasn't there either. Ron's red head was nodding across from Harry's as they bent over a chessboard together, but Hermione was nowhere to be seen.

Katie squirmed out of the portrait hole and jogged along the corridors. Despite Hermione's known bookishness, Katie doubted even she would head for the library right now. There was no telling where she could be. Unless –

Katie pelted down the wide staircase, her robes billowing out behind her. She reached the ground floor and pushed through the doors, out to the rose garden where she'd found Hermione reciting the reversal spell. 

The night air was shockingly cold and Katie caught her breath as soon as she stepped outside, reminded forcefully that she'd run off without a winter cloak. Blowing on her hands, Katie stomped across the frosty, frozen ground. "Hermione?" she called softly, peering into the shadows. 

"I'm here," came a small voice. Katie squinted into the night, then pulled out her wand and commanded, "_Lumos_." Hermione sat on a cold stone bench, shrouded by an untrimmed hedge.

Katie slid next to her, automatically putting her arms around Hermione and pulling her head to her shoulder. "I'm so sorry about what happened upstairs. I should have used a stronger locking charm." She placed her wand on the bench, lifted Hermione's face and looked at her in the dim wandlight. "Are you okay? With – everything, I mean?"

Hermione nodded and sat up straight. "I wasn't ready for someone to walk in on us, but other than that I'm fine."

Katie stared. "I never thought you'd be like that," she said quietly. 

"Like what?" A faint smile played at Hermione's mouth. 

"I thought you'd be shy. Awkward, maybe."

"Is that what it was like with Cho?" Hermione asked. "Was she shy and awkward?"

"Erm, no. Not exactly." Katie blushed in the darkness. 

"Then why would you think I'd be that way?"

"Unless there's something you haven't told me, you've never been with another girl. I guess I wasn't expecting you to be so…passionate." Katie reached over and took Hermione's hand in hers. "Not that I'm complaining," she clarified.

"I told you there were lots of things you didn't know about me." Hermione's smile increased and she glanced down at Katie's strong hands caressing her own. 

"Fair enough. So why'd you run away?"

Now Hermione turned her head away and gazed into the darkness that enveloped the Hogwarts grounds. "Only a few weeks ago you wanted to do those things with Cho," she said in a low voice. "Maybe you still do. I don't want to be with you if I'm just some substitute for her."

"Hermione. You are not a substitute." Katie stared at her until Hermione returned her gaze. "I haven't so much as talked to her since before the Christmas holidays. It's been tough, but I finally had to accept it's over."

Hermione nodded and, withdrawing her hand, dropped her eyes. Talking to her lap, she said, "I just had to know because I – " Now she looked up again, searching Katie's face anxiously. "I think I'm kind of in love with you."

"Kind of?" Despite the seriousness of the situation, something about Hermione's phrasing made Katie smile. 

But Hermione, who had jumped to her feet and moved away, didn't see her smiling in the darkness. "Yes. That is to say – I've been falling in love with you all term, I guess, while we were working on counteracting the potion. But you were so gone on Cho, I didn't let myself think – " Hermione stumbled over her words with unaccustomed awkwardness. "Then when you kissed me tonight, I just couldn't help myself."

Katie stood behind Hermione and carefully placed her arms around her waist, leaning against the other girl's back. "I couldn't help myself, either," she murmured into Hermione's ear. "You make me feel like – I don't even know." A shiver ran through Katie just thinking about it. "Like nobody else has."

"Really." Hermione turned slowly in Katie's arms, until they faced each other. She spoke as if Katie had uncovered a fascinating, yet unusual, point in the midst of a class discussion.

"Yeah. Really." Katie peered down at Hermione. A gust of wind came up and knocked her wand off the stone bench, plunging them into darkness once more. Cursing, Katie bent down and fumbled for her wand.

"We'd better go inside," said Hermione when the wand was recovered. 

"Okay. Just -" Katie paused, then continued with her question. "Why did you go to so much effort to find a spell that would make Cho immune to the romance repellant if _you_ had a crush on me? You could have just left the potion's effect in place."

"I know. But as I said earlier tonight, I don't want you to do anything because you owe me, or because of a spell. I had to see if you could like me on your own. Besides, you were so miserable. I couldn't bear to leave you like that - or Cho, even." She shrugged and began walking towards the castle.

Katie didn't know what to say to that. She wasn't sure she could have done the same, had she been in Hermione's position. Taking Hermione's hand, she held it tightly, and they walked in silence to the castle doors.

Hermione paused and said, "We'd better be careful walking back upstairs - it's probably past lights-out already."

"How many ways can I get you into trouble tonight?" sighed Katie, holding the door open for Hermione. 

A smile flitted across Hermione's face. "Don't worry," she whispered as they climbed the stairs. "I'm a prefect. I can always say I caught you out and will see to your punishment myself."

"Is that a promise?" grinned Katie. 

Hermione didn't answer, just nodded pointedly at the Fat Lady, who was staring down at them from her portrait. "What are you girls doing out so late?" she demanded, as she grudgingly let them inside. 

Neither girl spoke as they crept through the dark and deserted common room, through the door to the girls' dormitories, and up to their respective rooms. They paused outside the fifth-year dorm, then Katie leaned over and gave Hermione a quick kiss. "Good night," she whispered, and walked quietly up the stairs, not allowing herself to look back. 

Because if she looked back, or if she'd lingered one moment longer, Katie knew she could have stayed and kissed Hermione all night long.

**

Lessons started only a few days later. Katie spent her spare time watching Hermione, trying to memorise the set of her chin as she glared at Ron over an off-colour joke, or the way her eyes sparked when she started talking about what she'd just learned in Transfiguration. Katie's gaze lingered on Hermione's fingers now, as she watched her writing industriously at one of the tables in the library, and smiled as she thought to what other uses she could put those hands.

Hermione felt Katie's eye upon her and looked up, smiling. "What?"

"Nothing." Katie tried to suppress her grin and glanced down at her own books.

Kicking her lightly under the table, Hermione asked again, "What is it?"

"I'll show you later," Katie whispered and forced herself to read another paragraph in her History of Magic book. 

As the library prepared to close, Katie walked Hermione back to Gryffindor tower, then pulled her into a darkened alcove halfway there for a few moments of privacy. One handy thing about attending school in a castle was the numerous nooks and crannies found throughout the building, good for private moments such as this. Hermione didn't object when Katie pulled her aside; in fact she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Katie. 

"Where'd you learn to kiss like that?" teased Katie, only half-joking. "Not to mention the way you -"

Hermione smiled up at her. "Well, I did spend a fair amount of time with Viktor last year. And he is older than I am."

"Meaning?" asked Katie, pressing one of her knees against Hermione's. 

"Not everything I know comes from reading," said Hermione, laughing softly at Katie's expression.

"_Hermione_ - what exactly did you do with him?" Katie spluttered.

"Not _that_," she assured. "Hmm, maybe I should just show you."

Katie gulped as Hermione moved closer and started to make good on her promise. "Not here," she managed to choke out, holding Hermione's hand steady. "You really surprise me, you know that?" she asked as they resumed walking to the tower.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know. Everyone thinks I'm a total swot, never thought twice about a boy, certainly never thought once about another girl."

"Shows what they know." Katie swung their hands forward, lightly grasping Hermione's fingers. "So, have you thought twice about, well, about anyone?" she asked in a quieter voice.

"I thought about you, didn't I?" returned Hermione with a smile.

"But before that?"

Hermione shrugged. "There was Viktor, obviously."

Katie glanced at her sideways. "Anyone else?" 

"It doesn't matter. If you're asking because you're afraid I'm going to panic and start looking for a boyfriend you needn't worry," Hermione informed her crossly, sounding less like the girl-in-love she'd just been and more like the headmistress-in-training Katie had always presumed her to be. "I'll see whomever I like. And right now it's you."

"I can't argue with that." Katie gave the password and they both entered the common room. "I'll meet you outside your dormitory in ten minutes," she whispered, before sprinting upstairs to deposit her books.

Her own room was quiet when she entered, Angelina and Alicia apparently having already gone to bed. Katie tossed her books into the trunk at the foot of her bed, then at the appropriate time crept back down the stairs.

Just as she was heading down, however, she ran into Fred Weasley on his way up. "Fred -" she started to shout, then clapped a hand over her own mouth, not wanting the entire girls' dormitory to hear her. Lowering her voice to a whisper she demanded, "What are you doing here? How'd you get in?"

He grinned at her. "I have my ways."

For some reason Katie found herself dissatisfied with both his response and his attitude. "Angelina is asleep," she said, feeling suddenly protective of her room-mate.

"Says you. Did you ask her?" 

"No," Katie admitted. "But Alicia's there too, you know. It's not as if you'll have the place to yourself."

"She's out with George," Fred informed her, attempting to edge past.

But Katie stood firm, still trying to absorb everything he was saying. It appeared her room-mates had been doing quite a bit without telling her. "You could get in a lot of trouble if someone found you here."

Fred's grin wavered for a moment and an impatient note crept into his voice. "Well, nobody's found me yet, although if you keep standing here talking to me no doubt that will change. Where are _you_ going, anyway?"

"None of your business. This is my dormitory, in case you forgot. Maybe I'm going to the bathroom for all you know."

"Don't think so. Seventh-years have their own, all the way up at the top." His grin returned full-force. "So who is it? Did you finally make up with Cho?"

Katie was not amused. Jabbing a finger at his chest she said, "Listen, Fred - you owe me for not ratting on you, so never mind what I'm doing. But you'd better be gone when I come back."

"And when would that be?"

"Soon." Katie glared at him, not certain she was doing the right thing, but also feeling it wasn't her place to interfere, especially since Angelina obviously hadn't seen fit to even tell Katie of her late-night rendezvous.

She watched Fred quietly climb the rest of the stairs, avoiding the one near the top that squeaked. _He's done this before_, Katie realised, then shook her head and continued on down, wondering if Hermione was still waiting for her.

She was. "Where have you been?" she whispered anxiously, pushing Katie downstairs and into the common room. "Something weird is going on tonight - I was just opening my door when I saw _Fred Weasley_ going by, but then I heard you talking to him. What's up?"

"He's meeting Angelina."

Hermione looked severe, her prefect instincts obviously kicking in. "And you let him?"

"It was certainly better than telling him where _I_ was going_,_" pointed out Katie. Unless you wanted everyone to know about us?" Remembering just why she'd gone to all this trouble in the first place, she put her arms around Hermione's waist and kissed her, silencing any further protests. "So where should _we_ go? Prefects' bathroom? Surely nobody's taking a bath this time of night."

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding? That's used for nothing _but_ assignations these days. No guarantee of privacy there."

Katie's eyes glimmered in the shadowy room. "Then let's go exploring," she suggested, took Hermione's hand, and led her out of the portrait hole.

The castle corridors were dark and silent, lit only by sporadically placed candles in sconces along the twisting walls. Hermione knew her way around, being a prefect, and Katie had to admit the younger girl had often surprised in her ability to find remote, private rooms. 

But tonight Katie wanted some place new, and some place far from Gryffindor tower. She tried not to think about Angelina and Fred, or worse, Alicia and George but as they walked in silence, hurt thoughts kept creeping into her mind. She couldn't believe they hadn't said anything to her, especially since getting her out of the room seemed integral to their plan.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked dubiously. 

Katie stopped walking and looked around. They were in a far wing of the castle, a place they'd never been before. "This way," Katie said authoritatively, although in truth she had no idea where she was going.

The corridor abruptly narrowed and led onto an equally narrow staircase. Katie didn't think too much of it - Hogwarts was funny that way. She did start to wonder, however, when the short staircase ended in a small landing. Their only options were to go either back the way they'd come or to go up once more, this time using the stairs on the other side of the landing. 

It was too narrow to walk side by side, so Katie moved to the front, still holding Hermione's hand. "Are you sure you know where we are?" Hermione whispered, holding on tightly to Katie's hand.

Katie turned and grinned at her. "No, but that's half the fun."

Hermione didn't look as if she agreed, but Katie ignored her doubtful expression and continued up the steep stairs. As the stairs began to twist sharply, she had to let go of Hermione's hand, but could feel the other girl right behind her. At last they came to the top of the stairs. Katie blinked, not quite believing what she was seeing.

"Oh, I don't believe this." Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "We've come all that way just to a dead-end wall!"

Katie turned and stared at her. "What?" She peered closely at Hermione, then turned back to what she'd been looking at before: a beautiful courtyard lay below them. They appeared to be standing in the open frame of a long window, with flowers cascading from the window all the way down to the ground.

"Can't you see it?" Katie asked, puzzled. She drew Hermione next to her, then stood back and pointed.

"See what?" Hermione's eyes looked blankly ahead, then fixed on Katie's face. "What are you seeing?"

Frowning, Katie put her arms on Hermione's elbows and held her in front of her. "It's a garden or something. We're standing in a window, looking down on it."

She heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath, and knew she saw it now, too. "Take your hands off me," Hermione said, still breathless.

"What's wrong?" Katie asked, hurt.

Hermione shook her head impatiently. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just want to test something."

Katie did as she was asked, and a moment later Hermione turned around, her face intrigued. "It's just as I thought. When you touch me, I can see what you see, but if we're not touching, all I see is a wall."

"Weird." Katie pulled Hermione protectively to her side. "What do you think it is?"

"Well, I can't be certain, but I think you've come across the seventh-year garden. Helga Hufflepuff created it as a gift for the girls who are in their final year - they're the only ones who can see it, or enter it."

"How do we get in?"

Hermione looked around. "Let's try down that corridor."

Katie looked to her left; she hadn't noticed the corridor before, but perhaps it had just appeared. Feeling uneasy, she led Hermione along it, then down another set of spiraling stairs, and then they were in the courtyard. 

"Don't let go of me," cautioned Hermione. 

"What do you think would happen?" worried Katie.

"I'm not sure, but I don't really want to find out." Hermione settled gingerly on a carved marble bench and stared. 

Katie had to admit the scene inspired staring. Despite it being midwinter, the air felt as warm as a perfect spring day, and everything was in bloom. If she looked up, she could see the window where they'd stood, the flowers spilling out of their box and down the sides of the castle walls. Bright, exotic-looking flowers grew near their bench, or wrapped around ornamental columns. Katie glanced at an intriguing base of one of the columns, then quickly looked away: it was a carving of a Hippogriff attacking some prey. 

"How did she do this?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied. "I've only read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_. Each of the founders created somewhere special in the school. Salazar Slytherin made the Chamber of Secrets." Katie noticed Hermione shudder as she said this. "And this garden was Helga's idea. I suppose she enchanted the flowers so they'd grow all year round."

"And only seventh-year _girls_ can see it?"

Hermione nodded. "There's probably an equivalent for the boys, but I guess you'd have to ask Fred or George about that. If anyone's found it, I'd bet they have."

"Maybe. But if it's anything like this, I don't know why they're wasting their time sneaking into our dorms." Katie twisted to inspect the pool of water behind them, kept constantly filled by a soothing fountain, taking care to maintain a firm grip on Hermione. 

Hermione seemed equally awed. "I can't believe I got in. This is so beautiful," she breathed.

"Not as beautiful as you," said Katie. The warmth of the place, combined with the heavy scent of the various flowers, not to mention sitting so close to Hermione was fast proving intoxicating. She leaned over and kissed Hermione, who blushed at the compliment but didn't say anything. 

In fact, neither girl said anything at all, quickly becoming absorbed in each other rather than conversation. Their first kisses of only a few nights ago had been quick and frantic, but tonight Hermione kissed her slowly and deliberately, and Katie felt quite certain that for once, Hermione wasn't thinking about homework or rules or anything but the two of them.

Things continued in this way for quite some time until Hermione sat up and said, "It must be terribly late. We'd better go before we're missed."

Reluctantly, Katie got to her feet and they walked hand-in-hand to the garden's edge. "I hate to leave," she said, casting a longing glance around them. With her free hand she reached out to a large, delicate blossom. "What happens if I pick a flower?"

"Nothing. Only seventh-year girls can take flowers from here, but they can come as often as they like," smiled Hermione. "If you can find your way back again."

"I will," Katie assured her, then plucked the flower and tucked it into Hermione's thick hair, behind her ear. "Perfect."

"Thanks." Hermione smiled up at her, and they got sidetracked a bit from leaving as Hermione expressed her appreciation.

"Okay, let's go," Katie sighed, leading Hermione away from the enchanted garden and back to the castle corridors. 

The school seemed extra quiet and eerie after the brightness and warmth of the enchanted courtyard. Katie thought their shoes echoed more loudly than usual as they dashed along the wooden floors, each keeping her eyes peeled for Filch or Peeves. Then they rounded a corner and ran into someone almost as bad, if not worse: Professor McGonagall.

"What on earth -" she began, apparently as startled to see them as they were to see her. "Miss Bell! Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Katie was so afraid she couldn't even stammer out a response. She glanced miserably at Hermione, whose face had gone completely white. Gathering her wits, Katie gasped, "I know it's late, Professor. Hermione found me out of bed - she was just taking me back."

Professor McGonagall now looked at Hermione. "Miss Granger, is this true?"

Although she had dropped Hermione's hand as soon as they came face-to-face with their teacher, Katie could feel her shaking by her side, and fervently hoped Hermione had overcome her reluctance about lying.

"Yes." Katie jerked up her head and regarded Hermione full-on. She spoke the word with such confidence even Katie felt for a moment the story was true. "There've been quite a number of students out of bed tonight, Professor."

Professor McGonagall's expression darkened. "Don't I know it. Caught George Weasley and Alicia Spinnet wandering the grounds only an hour ago." Now she looked again at Katie, not bothering to hide her irritation. "What is going on with you girls? Don't you know how dangerous it is to be out at night? What on earth possessed you?"

"Um…youthful exuberance?" Katie offered hopefully. 

McGonagall snorted, but Katie thought her severe expression softened somewhat.

Just as she and Hermione were moving away, however, Katie noticed Professor McGonagall staring at something on the floor. Following the teacher's gaze, Katie saw she was peering closely at the flower Katie had picked for Hermione, which had fallen out of her hair. Taking a step forward, their teacher bent over and picked up the blossom, then held it out to Katie. "I see you've found Helga Hufflepuff's garden, Miss Bell."

Katie fought to keep her voice steady as she replied, "Yes, Professor. I was just coming back and that's when Hermione came across me."

McGonagall looked from Katie to Hermione, then back at the flower Katie cupped in her hand. There was utter silence in the corridor, save for Katie's breathing, which suddenly seemed very loud to her. "So this is what has all you seventh-year girls out of bed tonight? Looking for the enchanted garden?"

Katie nodded. The flower was beginning to feel sticky in her hot palm.

"May I suggest you confine your visits there to the time _before_ lights-out?" Then, with that strange, almost-softening look Katie had seen a moment ago, Professor McGonagall glanced once more at Hermione and said in a lighter tone, "Miss Granger, I will leave the punishment of those caught out of bed tonight to the Gryffindor prefects. I expect a full report of your decision tomorrow."

"Of course, Professor." 

When they were finally back inside the common room, Katie promptly leaned her back against the closed portrait-hole and took a deep breath, as did Hermione. 

"That was really close," she said.

"I know," agreed Hermione. "We can't stay out that late again. I can't believe McGonagall let you off. I've found people out of bed before and she's given them detention. I wonder what made her so lax tonight?"

"She trusts you," said Katie, taking Hermione's hand and pulling her towards the door upstairs. 

"Maybe." Hermoine sounded unconvinced.

"I think the phrase 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth' applies here," Katie pointed out, and together they crept upstairs.

"Goodnight," whispered Katie, giving Hermione one last kiss. "Oh, and don't forget your flower."

Hermione smiled, took the flower, and tiptoed through the door into her darkened room. Katie lingered for a moment, eyes still on the closed door, then began walking up to her own room, wondering just who she would find there.

****

Whew, my longest chapter yet - excess _is _the key word in this title, in all ways. Thanks for sticking with it thus far. And a box of Jelly Slugs to Wotan for beta-ing this mess and for guessing _Hamlet_ as the source of last chapter's subtitle. 


	7. Passion's Progress

Love in Excess

A/N: This last chapter should perhaps be titled "Fluff in Excess" instead. Read on to see just how everything falls out for the girls…

A great big thank you to Wotan, who really deserves a rest after all this beta-ing! May everyone have as generous a reader.

Love in Excess 7: Passion's Progress

"_Tranquillity now reigned in those hearts which lately heaved with various and disturbed emotions_…" -E. Haywood

Katie had never known how exhilarating falling in love could be. Her crush on Cho had been exciting in its own way - always looking out for her between lessons and around the school, the thrill of their stolen moments together - but she'd never felt very sure of where she stood with Cho. With Hermione, Katie experienced for the first time the sensation of knowing the object of her adoration felt exactly the same way towards her. The smallest thing, from a note passed to her in the corridors to a quick smile from Hermione across the crowds of students moving between lessons, filled Katie with an unreasonable exuberance and made her happy the rest of the day. 

She didn't even begrudge Angelina and Alicia their sneaking around with the Weasley twins, despite her initially hurt feelings at not being told of their plans. She'd returned to their room the night she and Hermione had found Helga's garden to find both girls still awake.

"Where have _you_ been?" Alicia had asked. "As if I can't guess."

"Did you get detention? McGonagall found Alicia and George outside -"

"I know." Katie cut off Angelina tiredly. "She found Hermione and me, too."

Both her room-mates' eyes opened wider. "She did? What happened?" Angelina leaned closer from her perch on Alicia's bed.

Katie kicked off her shoes and sat down, suddenly exhausted. "Nothing. I told her Hermione had caught me out of bed, and McGonagall said the Gryffindor prefects will meet and decide on punishment for Alicia, George, and me."

"Lucky you, dating a prefect," moaned Alicia. "What do you think they're going to do to us?"

"Not much," predicted Angelina. "All the House prefects are friends with George - I don't think they're going to do anything much to him or to you. And Hermione certainly isn't going to give her own girlfriend detention."

"I don't know," countered Katie. "She can be a regular law-and-order type."

Now Alicia chimed in, "Katie, the girl is completely in love with you. Trust me, she's not going to give you detention."

Brightening, Katie said, "Yeah, you're probably right." Then she turned to Angelina and demanded, "What's going on with Fred sneaking up here? I ran into him on the stairs earlier. You guys could definitely get in trouble for that - if anyone catches you it won't matter how many prefect friends Fred has, they'll have to punish you."

"Do you really want me to spell out what's going on with him up here?" smirked Angelina, laughing as Katie blanched at the implication. "Don't worry - my virtue is still intact." 

When Katie still didn't laugh, Angelina sighed and said, "Look, I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you, but I knew you were meeting Hermione and it just seemed better if you didn't know. Like you said, she's a prefect and if it came up that you knew he was in here, well…"

"She knew anyway. She heard him talking to me on the stairs," Katie informed her. "And she didn't tell anyone," she added, as Angelina began to look worried. 

"So where were you two all this time?" Alicia asked Katie.

Katie smiled and flopped back against her bed. "The most amazing place," she began, and told them all about the garden. Neither girl had heard of it, but a quick rifling through Alicia's copy of _Hogwarts, A History_ revealed a small entry.

"You have to take us there," Angelina announced.

"It's girls-only," reminded Katie with a smile. "Sure you can bear being separated from Fred that long?"

"It'll do him good," scoffed Angelina, bouncing off Alicia's bed and over to her own. "Got to keep him on his toes."

**

Angelina's predictions were right; none of the Gryffindor prefects seemed inclined to punish their Housemates too seriously, and Alicia, George and Katie got off with merely having to give the common room a good cleaning. Granted, they had to do this without the aid of magic, but as Alicia and Katie pointed out, much of the mess present was due to George's (and Fred's) many experiments with exploding substances, and the girls made him do most of the work while they sat about, gossiping. 

In her new state of euphoria, Katie never imagined that she was the subject of gossip herself. Had she known just who was talking about her, she would have been even more surprised: Harry and Ron had noticed the increasing frequency with which Katie had been spotted in the company of Hermione, and neither of them could quite work out why.

Harry was particularly puzzled. Also a prefect, he had watched in open-mouthed shock during their meeting as Hermione breezily accepted Lee Jordan's suggestion of making the errant seventh-years clean up the common room as punishment. He understood why Lee wouldn't want to come down too hard on his friends, but he couldn't begin to fathom why Hermione would suddenly display such leniency. 

He decided to consult Ron one evening, asking "Have you noticed anything odd about Hermione lately?"

Ron looked up from _Unfogging the Future_. "Odder than usual, you mean?" he asked, glancing over at the next table where Hermione sat surrounded by stacks of books and scrolls of old parchment. "Look at her – she's been reading those old OWL papers since school started, and the exams aren't even until next term."

"I'm not talking about school," whispered Harry, anxious that Hermione not overhear them. "Think about it – she's hardly spent any time with us lately, or even Ginny. But she has been spending an awful lot of time with Katie and those seventh-years. And when they all got in trouble for being out of bed the other night, she didn't even try to punish them."

This last sentence did make Ron take notice. Putting his quill down, he stared first at Harry, then glanced again at Hermione, and finally looked around the room for Katie, Alicia and Angelina, none of whom were present. "Why would she spend time with them? All those girls talk about is Quidditch. And Fred and George," he added, rolling his eyes. Then his expression brightened and he said, "Maybe Hermione's finally taking an interest in Quidditch. I bet that's it."

"She could talk to either of us," pointed out Harry. "I'm on the team and you know just about every Quidditch trivia fact there is."

"True." Ron thought a minute more, then shrugged and suggested, "Why don't you just ask her? She's right over there."

Harry watched Hermione working as he thought over Ron's advice. Deciding he might as well talk to her, Harry pushed back his chair and approached Hermione. 

"What is it, Harry?" she asked, not looking up from her homework. 

"I need to talk to you," he said, and his tone made Hermione stop her writing and look at him. "It's about you and Katie."

He was surprised to see Hermione drop her quill and could have sworn her face turned pale, but then she quickly bent down to retrieve the quill and when she sat back up, she looked completely normal. "What about her?"

"Ron and I have noticed you're spending a lot of time with her lately. And I think it's making you act differently."

"You do?" Hermione raised one eyebrow at him. 

"Yes. I mean, at the prefects' meeting the other day you didn't even protest when Lee gave Katie and her friends such light punishment. It's not like you."

"Why do I always have to be the one to make the unpopular decisions? Maybe I just didn't feel like it this once," she snapped.

Harry paused before speaking again. Then he said, awkwardly, "It's not just that they're older, but you don't have anything in common. It just seems like you've got a different, well, attitude since you started hanging around them."

"Harry, are you saying you think Katie and her friends are a bad influence on me?" A moment ago Hermione had been annoyed, but now her mouth twitched upwards and she appeared to be holding back a giggle.

"No," Harry retorted, regretting ever starting this conversation. "I just think you're different somehow, that's all." 

At that moment Katie burst through the portrait hole along with Alicia and Angelina, having just come from showing them the enchanted garden. A cluster of sixth-year girls ran over to see them and the flowers they'd brought back. 

Katie looked over the heads of the other girls to catch Hermione's eye, and was startled to see Harry looking back at her, an unreadable expression crossing his face as he watched her watching Hermione. Feeling his eyes on her, Katie quickly turned back to answering questions the other girls were asking, and Hermione returned to her books. 

**

"Do you think he knows?" Katie hunched forward in her desk, leaning towards Hermione across the aisle. They'd met up in the empty classroom as soon as the bedlam in the common room had died down and Harry and Ron had gone upstairs. 

"No. But he knows something is up." Hermione sat rigidly in her own chair, anxiety pervading even her posture. 

"Do you want to tell him about us?" Katie asked quietly, reaching for Hermione's hand.

"I thought you didn't want anyone to know."

Katie sighed. "I don't care about people knowing about me now. It seems half the school – and certainly any girl with a passing interest in Quidditch – knows where my preferences lie. And it's not that I'm ashamed about our relationship. I'm more worried about you. This is my last year here – in a few months I'll be gone and can do what I want. It might be harder for you, being only a fifth-year."

"Maybe. It's not as if I want Dumbledore to announce it over breakfast to the whole school. I think if I told just Harry and Ron, they could keep it to themselves," Hermione said slowly.

"These things have a way of getting out. Believe me, I know. Every time I've tried to do something in secret this year it's backfired."

"If I tell them to stay quiet I really think they will," Hermione repeated. "We've been through a lot together - even if I am only in the fifth year," she added, a hint of a smile at her mouth.

Katie could see Hermione was resolute, and realised she probably had no idea just what Hermione had seen and experienced, being Harry Potter's friend. She thought back to her third year, when Harry, Ron and Hermione had stunned the whole school as first-years in their showdown with You-Know-Who. "Do whatever you need to, then."

Hermione stood up, her features relaxing and that familiar, determined gleam settling in her eye. "I don't want them to hear it from anyone else. I'll see if I can talk to them tonight."

**

As soon as she saw Hermione the next morning at breakfast, Katie knew she had talked to Ron and Harry. Not only was Hermione looking pleased although tired, but the two boys kept casting incredulous looks from Hermione to Katie as they ate their breakfast mechanically, apparently still dazed at Hermione's announcement. 

"How'd it go?" she whispered as they walked back from the Great Hall to collect their books for morning lessons, too anxious to wait until they were alone to talk.

"Not bad," Hermione replied. "I think they're still a little shocked, but they seem okay with it."

"That's great." Katie felt she would melt with relief. She'd hardly slept the night before, she'd been so worried.

"Er, Katie?" She looked over to see Harry and Ron walking alongside her. Ron elbowed Harry, who coughed nervously before saying, "Hermione told us about you two. And we just wanted to say we, um, support you." 

Judging from his expression, Katie got the feeling Harry would have been much more comfortable confessing he'd just completed a KwikSpell course than talking to her about her relationship with Hermione, and appreciated the effort he was making. "Thanks. I know that means a lot to Hermione, and to me."

"Just as long as she's, you know, happy," added Ron.

"Don't worry - I can keep her plenty happy," replied Katie, smiling as Ron blushed bright red. With a final wave to Harry, she dashed to catch up with her girlfriend.

She told Hermione about her encounter with Harry and Ron with a smile. "Come upstairs with me while I get my books," she urged, and Hermione didn't need much convincing to accompany her. 

While Katie hunted through her belongings for her schoolbooks, Hermione lounged on the bed, tactfully refraining from expressing her amazement over Katie's scholarly disorder. Although sometimes surprised by Katie's nonchalant attitude towards schoolwork, Hermione secretly found it thrilling the way Katie moved so confidently through her lessons despite putting in less study time than herself. 

"I can't find my Gobbledegook book!" Katie complained, peering under her bed.

Hermione felt around under the pillows and held up a battered volume. "Is this it?"

"Yes! Thanks." Katie joined her on the bed. After carelessly tossing the book into her bag (Hermione wincing at such blatant book abuse), she turned her attention to Hermione, handling _her_ with infinite care.

"Um, Katie? Could you do me one favour?" Hermione asked.

"What's that?" Katie panted, pulling back for a moment from her enthusiastic embrace of her girlfriend.

"Could you take down that poster of Viktor? He keeps giving me these looks," complained Hermione.

Katie glanced up at the poster hanging on her wall. Just as Hermione had said, Viktor was winking down at them in a rather suggestive manner. "Cheeky bastard," she muttered, pulling out her wand and bringing the poster off the wall, into a tight scroll. "I forgot I even had that up there. In fact, I keep forgetting you ever went out with him."

"Apparently he hasn't," Hermione observed dryly, then sat up and smoothed down her robes. "We'd better get to class," she said, and Katie didn't try to disagree. There were certain points on which it was useless to argue with Hermione, and schoolwork was one of them.

**

Katie had been so absorbed in her feelings for Hermione, not to mention negotiating the anxiety she'd had about Hermione coming out to Ron and Harry, that she hadn't had much time to think about Cho. When she next saw her - at one of the pick-up Quidditch games - it caught Katie off guard. Cho was as beautiful as ever and she didn't turn away from Katie's hesitant glances, although they didn't speak. Katie was glad the Seeker didn't have much contact with other team members, feeling she'd be too distracted if Cho had been playing Chaser alongside her. But at least Cho didn't seem angry with her anymore; in fact, if Katie had paid a bit more attention she might have noticed Cho trying to catch her eye after the game was over.

But she didn't notice, and was surprised when Cho approached her one afternoon as lessons were letting out.

"Got a minute?" Cho asked, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"Sure." Katie tried to mask her shock, and indicated to Alicia and Angelina they should go ahead without her, ignoring the questions in their eyes. "What's up?"

"I guess I owe you an apology," Cho said, once they were alone in the now empty corridor. "I've been thinking a lot, and well – you were right. I should have known you'd never have intended for me to be affected by that potion. I know it's probably too late, but…" she trailed off, looking more embarrassed than Katie had ever seen her. "Do you think we could try again? We used to be pretty good together, before that potion mix-up." She raised hopeful brown eyes and watched Katie closely.

Katie blinked in surprise. Cho was saying just what she'd longed to hear last term – it seemed impossible she could have changed her mind, yet there was no mistaking the sincerity of her expression. "I'm sorry, Cho. I'm – that is, there's someone else."

"Hermione?"

Katie nodded. She expected Cho to be upset, but she merely looked resigned and a little sad.

"She really loves you, I could see that months ago. You're lucky." Cho gave her a disappointed smile. "Well, maybe I should go and visit Fleur after all – she owled me over the holidays and said she's coming to England in the spring."

"I thought she was a back-stabbing bitch?" Katie smiled.

Cho shrugged. "She was, but before she became one she was a lot of fun. Things change - maybe she's changed, too."

"I hope everything works out for you," Katie offered.

"You too." Cho took a step closer. She reached up with one hand and turned Katie's face to hers, then kissed Katie on the cheek. "You're the best girlfriend I never had," she smiled, then walked softly down the corridor, towards the Ravenclaw common room.

Katie looked after her in a daze, still unable to believe what had just happened. 

"Katie?" The sound of Hermione's voice made Katie jump and turn quickly around.

"I didn't know you were here," she gasped, startled to see her girlfriend, before remembering she'd asked Hermione to meet her after lessons that day.

"Obviously not." Hermione stared at her, looking as if she had a lot to say, but remaining silent.

"That was Cho," Katie said. "We were just –"

"- Kissing," interrupted Hermione. "I saw. I thought you were over her, Katie. I asked and you said –" she stopped talking abruptly. Katie could see the tears standing in Hermione's eyes, and then she turned and darted off.

"Hermione, wait!" Katie called, chasing after her. Being the more athletic of the two, she easily caught up, and placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "It's not what you think. Come on, let me explain."

"You don't have to," Hermione said dully, her eyes red. "I know I can't compare to her. Cho's beautiful, and smart and you two like the same sorts of things. I understand, Katie, I really do."

"No, you don't." Katie dug her fingers into Hermione's shoulder for emphasis. "It was the most surprising thing…" she began, unsure exactly how to explain it.

"She asked you if you wanted to get back together," Hermione said.

"Did you hear her?" Katie gaped.

"I didn't have to. I saw the look on your face – and hers."

Katie shook her head. "You have quite a knack for walking in at the wrong time. Listen, here's what happened."

"You don't have to explain. I'd rather not hear it, in fact." Hermione wrenched her shoulder from Katie's grip and stepped back. 

"Would you let me explain?" asked Katie in exasperation. "I'm trying to tell you something."

"I said, you don't have to explain. I know you're just trying to find a nice way to tell me you're going back to her." 

"No," Katie said softly, reaching forward and pulling Hermione to her with both arms. "What I'm _trying_ to say is, I told her I was with you. _You're_ the one I want to be with, Hermione. Just you."

Hermione had been crying silently, but now she looked up, her face still wet with tears. "Really?"

"Really." Katie smiled down at her, then leaned over and kissed her gently on the mouth, not caring if anyone came by and saw them. "She said I was lucky. And I am."

"But you two have so much in common," said Hermione, her voice amazed. "I still don't see why –"

Katie kissed her again, tasting saltiness where the tears had run down to the corners of Hermione's mouth.

"- you would choose me," Hermione whispered when they finally broke apart.

"Do you need another reason?" asked Katie, pulling Hermione to her once more and kissing her even more fervently. Hermione stopped protesting and kissed back. 

"Come on," whispered Katie, taking Hermione's hand. "I found a shortcut to the garden I want to show you."

If Katie had one regret, it was that so many of the girls in her year now knew about Helga Hufflepuff's garden. She'd liked it when it had seemed to belong only to herself and Hermione. But just now, in the liminal space between late afternoon and early evening, between sunset and twilight, nobody else was there. 

The mellow, golden tones of late afternoon sunlight splashed across the elaborately decorated tiles paving the very centre of the courtyard, and the air seemed even more perfumed with the heavy scents of various tropical blooms as Katie led Hermione to the stone bench near the fountain. Reaching out to a flowering bush behind them, Katie plucked a white flower and held it out to Hermione. "Smell this," she urged, watching as Hermione bent over the yellow-throated flower.

"It's wonderful," smiled Hermione. "Lemony and spicy and sweet, all at once." 

Katie tucked the flower in Hermione's hair. "See what you have to look forward to in two years' time?" she whispered, then moved closer until no space remained between them. Hermione's tears had vanished by now, and her eyes shone clearly and brightly before she closed them and leaned into Katie's kiss. Katie felt Hermione's arms around her, her hands on her shoulders, then roaming down the front of her robes as her kisses picked up in intensity. Their bodies seemed to complement each other so perfectly, Hermione's soft curves pressing against her own angular, athletic figure. 

"Don't let go of me," murmured Hermione, opening her eyes a fraction and giving Katie a teasing smile. "I may be precocious but I still can't be in here without you."

"I'll never let you go," promised Katie, and hugged Hermione to her with equal measures of force and tenderness, passion and protectiveness, that only true love can provide.


End file.
